Anti-diabetic effect on alloxanized and normoglycemic rats and some pharmacological evaluations of Tournefortia hartwegiana

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 101; no. 1; pp. 37 - 42
• Main Authors: Ortiz-Andrade, R.R., Rodríguez-López, V., Garduño-Ramírez, M.L., Castillo-España, P., Estrada-Soto, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 03.10.2005; Elsevier
• Subjects: Alloxan; Alloxan diabetic rats; Animals; bioassays; Biological and medical sciences; Boraginaceae; chemical constituents of plants; Diabetes; diabetes mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - drug therapy; ethnobotany; General pharmacology; herbal medicines; hypoglycemic agents; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; Male; Medical sciences; medicinal plants; medicinal properties; Mexico; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; plant extracts; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Tournefortia; Tournefortia hartwegiana; traditional medicine; Mexico; Diabetes; Alloxan diabetic rats; Tournefortia hartwegiana; Boraginaceae; Endocrinopathy; Evaluation; Rat; Pharmacognosy; Diabetes mellitus; Rodentia; Medicinal plant; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Dicotyledones; Animal; Angiospermae; Plant origin; Spermatophyta
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2005.03.022

The purpose of the present investigation was to assess the pharmacological properties of Tournefortia hartwegiana Steud (Boraginaceae), used in traditional medicine for the treatment of diabetes, diarrhea and kidney pain in Morelos, Mexico. Administration of methanol extract from aerial parts of Tournefortia hartwegiana (310 mg/kg body weight/day) for 10 days, to normoglycemic and alloxan-induced diabetic rats, significantly lowered their blood glucose levels (37 and 36%, respectively, p < 0.05). The anti-diabetic and hypoglycemic activities due to the MeOH extract were similar to those produced by metformin at 120 mg/kg (positive control, p < 0.05). In contrast, the hexane, dichloromethane and MeOH extracts from the same species showed no significant spasmolytic effect and did not have activity in antibacterial and Artemia salina toxicity bioassays.