Costus pictus D. Don belonging to the family Costaceae is one of the most commonly used plant among traditional healers in the upper Assam region in India, specifically used in the treatment of diabetes. Aerial parts of the plant are said to have potent anti diabetic property. The present study was aimed to evaluate the traditionally claimed antidiabetic activity of aerial parts of C. pictus in animal models. Healthy male Wister rats (120 ± 30 gm) were used in the study and diabetes was induced by Streptozotocin (STZ) i.p. prepared by dissolving in citrate buffer (pH 4.5), along with nicotinamide (120 mg/kg/b wt). Diabetic rats were treated for 14 days with daily doses of methanolic extract of C. pictus (MECP) in three different scheduled amounts (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/b wt; p.o.). Control rats were treated with 0.3% CMC (Carboxy Methyl Cellulose) suspension (10 ml/kg/b wt; p.o.). Blood glucose level and plasma lipid profile was examined on 1st, 7th, 14th and 21st day 1 h after treatment. On the last day, 1 h after the treatment, animals were sacrificed followed by isolation of pancreas and liver for histopathological examination. The results were compared with that of the standard group treated with Glibenclamide (10 mg/kg/day; p.o). Comparison of the experimental data of different cohorts demonstrated the potential antidiabetic activity of C. pictus however the highest dose of 200 mg/kg/b wt; p.o. of MECP significantly (P < 0.05) reversed the STZ induced diabetic parameters (increased blood glucose level, altered plasma profile and histoarchitecture of the pancreatic and hepatic cells) that is comparable with that of the standard. The observed results suggest anti diabetic efficacy of C. pictus thereby uphelding the folkloric usage.
Keywords: Assam; Costus pictus D. Don; Diabetes; Methanolic extract.
© Association of Clinical Biochemists of India 2019.