Antihyperglycemic and antioxidative attribute of hydroethanolic extract of Butea monosperma (Lam.) seeds and its active constituents.

Treatment of diabetic mice with glibenclamide and crude extract (BE) significantly declined the FBG content. However, amongst the 6 isolated compounds, 3 compounds (C1, C4 and C6) appreciably subsided the exaggerated level of FBG. Simultaneously, glibenclamide, BE, C4 and C6 treatment markedly enhanced the hepatic glycogen content as compared to diabetic control group. Administration of crude extract, C4, C5 and C6 also exerted a protective effect on the declined activity of SOD, CAT and GSH-Px in the three tissues. However, all the herbal treatments produced a pronounced escalation in GSH content. Contrarily the elevated level of hepatic, pancreatic and renal TBARS monitored in diabetic animals was significantly diminished in treated groups of animals. Alloxan administration severely deteriorated the structure of liver and pancreas of diabetic mice, which was found to be restored to a certain extent in glibenclamide, BE and C6 treated animals. Identification of the most potent antihyperglycemic compound C6 by HPLC confirmed its triterpene nature. C6 was then further characterized via various spectroscopic methods (IR, NMR and Mass) that revealed its similarity with laccijalaric ester-I, a triterpene present in soft resin of B. monosperma seeds.