rhizome powder (1000 mg/kg body weight) Full-size table Table options View in workspace Download as CSV Body weight, food and water intake were monitored daily for 21 days. To detect blood glucose level on 0, 7th and 14th day, blood was collected in heparinized eppendroff tubes, from retro-orbital venous plexus under light ether anaesthesia, using capillary tubes. After the last dose (21st day) of Aqueous slurry of C. orchioides Gaertn. rhizome powder (ASCO) or Glibenclamide had been administered, 16 h Selleck BAY 73-4506 fasted rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation and cardiac blood was collected. The serum was separated by

centrifugation (5 min, 5000 rpm) and stored in the refrigerator until it was analysed. Blood glucose was estimated using Crest Biosystems kit (Enzymatic glucose oxidase peroxidase (GOD-POD) method by Trinder, 1969). 15 On 21st day, the animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation and pancreas, kidney and liver were taken and

fixed in 10% buffered formalin, embedded in paraffin wax, serial sections of 5 μm were cut, stained with ZD1839 purchase hematoxylin-eosin, mounted on glass slides, photomicrographed and the observations made were recorded. Values are expressed as the mean ± SE for six animals in each group. Statistical analysis was done using One-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s multiple comparison tests at 5% level of significance. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of various solvent extracts of C. orchioides Gaertn. rhizome showed the presence of saponins, glycosides, tannins, phenols, flavonoid and mucilage. Phytochemical analysis by TLC of C. orchioides Gaertn. rhizome extracts showed presence of anthracene, arbutin, cardiac glycosides, bitter drugs, coumarins, essential oils, lignans, pungent–tasting principles, saponins, triterpenes and valepotriates. No toxic effect of ASCO was observed on treatment up to 2000 mg/kg

body weight as the physical health and behaviour of the treated rats appeared normal and no death occurred. The first ASCO was found to be safe till the dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight in rats. The serum glucose level was estimated in normal control, diabetic control, Glibenclamide treated (modern drug control) and ASCO treated rats. The serum glucose level of diabetic control group showed increase from zero day to twenty first day, whereas the groups treated with Glibenclamide showed decrease in the serum glucose level after 21 days of treatment. Animals treated with ASCO showed significant decrease in serum glucose level, which was at par with Glibenclamide treated group (P < 0.05) ( Fig. 1). Each value is mean ± SEM. for 6 rats in each group; *:- Shows significant decrease at P ≤ 0.05 compared to diabetic control Pancreatic islet cells from control rat exhibited normal histoarchitecture.