Hypoglycemic effect of methanol and chloroform extract of Cuscuta reflexa Roxb. in mice

Cuscuta reflexa is a parasitic vine prevalent throughout Bangladesh. The plant is used in folk medicine as remedy for prostate cancer, impotency, scabies, fevers, diarrhea, and throat pains. In this study, we examined the hypoglycemic activity of methanol and chloroform extracts of the whole vine in glucose-loaded mice (oral glucose tolerance test). Control mice received distilled water, while experimental mice received methanol or chloroform extract at oral doses of 50, 100 and 200mg/kg body weight. A further group was orally administered glibenclamide (10mg/kg body weight). All mice received oral glucose at 2g/kg body weight, 60min after extract or glibenclamide administration. Blood samples were collected at 120min following glucose loading and serum levels of glucose determined. The results are expressed as mean±SEM. The significance of the results was calculated using Student's t-test and were considered statistically significant when P<0.05. Both methanol and chloroform extract demonstrated significant hypoglycemic activity; however, the effects were lower than that obtained with glibenclamide. Chloroform extract demonstrated higher hypoglycemic activity than methanol extract. Serum glucose concentrations in control, glibenclamide-administered, and 50mg/kg body weight methanol extract- and chloroform extract-administered mice were respectively, 87.0±1.7, 37.8±1.8, 74.6±1.5, and 54.1±1.3mg/dL. Overall, the results demonstrate significant hypoglycemic activity, particularly in the chloroform extract of Cuscuta reflexa.