M Balasundaram, Arumugam Dhanesh Gandhi, Purusothaman Kavitha, Ranganathan Babujanarthanam
Oral administration of the ethanol extract of Caesalpinia pulcherrima seeds (CP - 250 and 500 mg/kg) caused significant fall in blood glucose levels even at 2½ h after a single dose of treatment in normal fasted and glucose loaded Wistar rats. At 250 mg/kg dose level, CP completely prevented the elevation of blood glucose caused by oral glucose feeding. In alloxan diabetic rats, CP was able to lower the blood glucose level to around 132 mg / 100 ml from 10th day and thereafter. The biochemical findings were supported by histopathological studies of liver, kidney and pancreas of control and treated rats. CP was able to increase catalase levels of diabetic rats. Reduced levels of serum protein and elevated levels of serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase(SGPT), alkaline phosphatase(ALP), cholesterol, triglycerides, creatinine and uric acid were almost normalised in CP treated diabetic rats. CP was also able to reduce in vitro lipid peroxidation in rat liver microsomes and inhibit 1- diphenyl – 2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) induced free radicals significantly.
