Evaluation of the hypoglycemic effect of Tectaria heracleifolia (willd.) underw. in mice with induced type 2 diabetes

Abstract

Abstract Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major global health concern. About 463 million people worldwide live with DM. Type 2 DM (T2DM) is the most common in 90% of cases; is a complex metabolic disorder in which beta cells do not produce enough insulin and/or the body is resistant to insulin action. Oral antidiabetic drugs are part of the treatment to reduce and control this metabolic disorder; however, they have side effects. People with DM use medicinal plants as complementary treatment or alternative before medication is prescribed or together with the medication. Tectaria heracleifolia (Willd.) Underw. is a fern that has been reported in ethnobotanical studies to treat renal disorders, acne, and diabetes. This study is the first to evaluate the in vivo hypoglycemic effect of T. heracleifolia in mice with nicotinamide/streptozotocin (NA/STZ) induced T2DM using the commercial oral hypoglycemic agent glibenclamide as a positive control and 0.9% saline solution as negative control. Tests were conducted using normoglycemic mice and hyperglycemic mice. Both control and doses of 30, 100, and 300 mg/kg of the aqueous extract of T. heracleifolia were orally administered to mice and glucose assessment was performed at the following time points: 0, 1.5, 3, 5, and 7 h after extract administration. Acute toxicity tests were performed based on Lorke's methodology. Qualitative tests were performed to detect the main groups of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, glycosides, terpenes, and flavonoids. In the hyperglycemic animals, a statistically significant difference (p <0.05) was observed in the groups that received 100 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg of the aqueous extract when compared to the negative control. The presence of glycosides, phenolic compounds, and flavonoids in the aqueous extract could be related with the hypoglycemic activity. The extract is considered safe as the acute toxicity test showed a median lethal dose value (LD50) of 5065.177 mg/kg. The findings of the study support the traditional use of T. heracleifolia as a hypoglycemic agent in T2DM.