EFFECT OF COCCINIA INDICA LEAF EXTRACT ON DIABETIC NEUROPATHY PAIN IN RATS

Ravikant*, Abhay Kumar Verma, Priyanka Shrivastava

ABSTRACT

We investigated the effect of freshly prepared alcoholic extract of coccinia indica leaves extract on neuropathic pain, blood glucose level and loss of body weight in hyperglycaemic rats. Streptozotocin (STZ; 60 mg/kg, IP) was injected to albino rats to induce diabetes. Oral administration of freshly prepared alcoholic extracts to each of the animal was given to STZ-induced diabetic rat until 7 weeks after the STZ injection at a dosage of 500 mg/kg/day and 250 mg/kg/day. The glucose level test to follow the changes in blood glucose and body weight measurement to evaluate loss of body weight in diabetic rats. The pain evaluated by stimuli thermal: warm immersion (52 +2 0C) and cold immersion test (10 0C) and paw withdrawal on Eddy’s hot plate (45-52 + 2 0C) in diabetic rats. Treatment with these freshly prepared leaf alcoholic extract significantly reduced blood glucose and pain in diabetic rats. Blood glucose lowering effect and analgesic activity of coccinia indica decreased the pain in STZ- diabetic rats. STZ-induced loss of body weight was attenuated by the alcoholic extract of the coccinia indica. The higher dose (500 mg/kg/day) of alcoholic extract of the coccinia indica works better than that of lower dose (250 mg/kg/day) against hyperglycaemia and painful neutopathy. Therefore the use of these plants as analgesic and antidiabetic is justified. Glibenclamide (10 mg/kg/day) is an antidiabetic drug used as a standard drug to maintain the glucose level and diabetic neuropathic pain in diabetic rats.

Keywords: Coccinia indica, Neuropathic pain, Streptozotocin (STZ), Glibenclamide, Hyperglyceamia.