COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON ANTIDIABETIC, ANALGESIC, AND CYTOTOXIC EFFECT OF ETHANOLIC EXTRACTS OF AMARANTHUS GANGETICUS L. AND ALTERNANTHERA SESSILIS L.

Abstract

Objective: The present study was designed to evaluate and compare antidiabetic, analgesic, and cytotoxic properties of Lal shak (Amaranthus gangeticus L.) and Chanchi shak (Alternanthera sessilis L.). We carried out this work to explore the medicinal uses of very common and cheap leafy plant vegetables among the people of all classes.

Methods: The antidiabetic activity was evaluated and compared by studying the effect of ethanolic extract of A. gangeticus (EEAG) and ethanolic extract of A. sessilis (EEAS) against blood glucose level of alloxan-induced diabetic mice in every 6 h for 24 h. To evaluate and compare analgesic and cytotoxic activity, different tests such as acetic acid-induced writhing test, hot plate test, and brine shrimp lethality bioassay test had been performed.

Results: The mice were treated with both plants extract at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight in case of antidiabetic activity test. Blood glucose level was examined and found that there was a significant reduction of blood glucose level with EEAG (p<0.05) and EEAS (p<0.001) in comparison with their respective diabetic control group. Although both plant extracts reduced the blood glucose level, the glucose reducing effect was higher in EEAS. Both the plants showed significant (p<0.05) peripheral analgesic activity in treated mice but no significant central analgesic activity. EEAG showed higher peripheral analgesic activity than EEAS. In brine shrimp lethality bioassay, both the plants showed higher LC50 value thus cytotoxicity occurs at very higher dose and safe to administer.

Conclusion: In this study, both the plants showed sufficient antidiabetic property and higher LC50 value, thus administration of leafy vegetable Lal shak and Chanchi shak may be useful for diabetic people. Chanchi shak may be more helpful for diabetic people than Lal shak.