Plants synthesize a large variety of secondary metabolites, many with biological activities
such as hypoglycemic activity, so they have been used as an alternative and coadjutants
in the
treatments against Diabetes mellitus. The objective of this work was to evaluate the
hypoglycemic effect of Spathodea campanulata leaves and flowers aqueous extracts in
a rat type 2 diabetes
mellitus model. Material and methods: Aqueous extract of S. campanulata leaves (AQESCL) and flowers (AQESCF) (5 to 5000 mg/Kg). Acute evaluation of the hypoglycemic
capacity of aqueous
extract using glucose tolerance curves in type 2 diabetic male Wistar rats (from 100 mg)
randomly distributed in the following groups (n = 6): Healthy controls, Diabetics
with saline solution,
Diabetics with AQESCL or AQESCF and Diabetics with Metformin; the induction of diabetes
mellitus type 2 was performed by oral administration of 60% fructose. Results. The
hypoglycemic activity
for AQESCL and AQESCF respectively for the different doses analyzed where as follows:
5 mg/kg: 40.09 and 41.03%; 25 mg/kg: 29.74% and 63.03; 50 mg/kg: 30.72 and 83.78%,
150 mg/kg of 53.23 and
70.05%, 300 mg/kg of 86% and 10.91%, 2000 mg/kg of 23.36% and 130.15% 5000 mg/kg of
24.32 and 193%, in addition, as controls, the rats treated with saline showed a reduction
of 0% (negative
control) and those treated with metformin as positive control (100%). Conclusion.
The optimal hypoglycemic dose of the aqueous extract for AQESCL was 300 mg/kg and
for AQESCF was 50 mg/kg.
