ANTIHYPERGLYCEMIC ACTIVITY OF METHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF CORMS OF COLOCASIA ESCULENTA VAR ESCULENTA

Md. Hamidul Islam, Mohd. Najib Mostafa and Mohammed Rahmatullah*

ABSTRACT

The objective of the present study was to determine the antihyperglycemic effects of methanol extract of Colocasia esculenta var esculenta (Bengali: Panchamukhi kochu) corms in glucose-loaded mice. Antihyperglycemic activity was determined through oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in mice. Oral administration of methanol extract of Colocasia esculenta var esculenta corm (MECEE) at doses of 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg per kg body weight each to glucose-loaded mice dose-dependently reduced blood glucose levels by 15.1, 24.4, 32.1, and 35.8%, respectively compared to control (untreated) mice. By comparison, a standard antihyperglycemic drug, glibenclamide, when administered at a dose of 10 mg per kg body weight, reduced blood glucose level by 41.8%. Methanolic extract of corms of Colocasia esculenta var esculenta can improve oral glucose tolerance and thus is effective in lowering elevated blood glucose levels, which can prove beneficial for diabetic patients.

Keywords: Antihyperglycemic, Colocasia esculenta var esculenta, glibenclamide, OGTT.