Study the effect of herbal mixture plants extract on blood sugar level in normal and experimentally diabetic mice

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants for the management of diabetes mellitus is an old practice that has become even more relevant in a modern perspective. The present work was designed to evaluate the effect of a mixture of three medicinal plants which used in folk medicine in Iraq, These plants are (Aloe vera, Artemisia herba alba, and Teucrium polium) on the levels of blood glucose in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic mice, The aqueous extract of the herbal mixture was prepared and chemical detection of phenols, flavonoids, tannins, terpenes, steroids, glycosides, and saponins was carried out. Results revealed that the aqueous extract contains phenols, flavonoids, tannins, terpenes, glycosides, and saponins compounds. Evaluations of the parameters of our study were carried out on both standard and alloxan-induced diabetic mice. Thirty male mice were randomly divided into six equal groups: Group I (control): was kept as control negative mice treated with only distilled water. Group II: normal mice treated with aqueous extract of an herbal mixture at a dose (500 mg/kg/day).Group III: normal mice treated with aqueous extract of an herbal blend at a dose (250 mg/kg/day). The other 3 groups were subcutaneously administered a single dose (100 mg/kg) of alloxan to induce experimental diabetes. Groups IV (Diabetic): was kept as control positive, alloxan-induced diabetic mice treated with only distilled water. Groups V: alloxaninduced diabetic mice treated with aqueous extract of an herbal mixture at a dose (500 mg/kg/day). Group VI: alloxan-induced diabetic mice treated with aqueous extract of an herbal blend at a dose (250 mg/kg/day), respectively, for ten days. Results showed that normal mice treated with aqueous extract has no significant change in body weights and blood glucose level except those treated with a high dose of aqueous extract since they exhibited a significant decrease (P ≤ 0.05) in blood glucose level. The results indicated a significant reduction in glucose level in diabetic mice after treatment with a high dose of aqueous extract of the herbal mixture. In conclusion, our results support that the aqueous extract of these plant exhibits anti-diabetic as compared with each plant alone, where we tested each of these plants in previous studies.