Hypoglycaemic activity of Coccinia indica and Momordica charantia

Coccinia indica leaves were extracted with 60 % ethanol, solvents were evaporated and the residue was suspended in water. This suspension was administered orally at a dose of 200 mg/kg body wt. after 18 h of fasting to normal fed and streptozotocininduced male diabetic rats (180-250 g). After 90 min the rats were killed, and blood-glucose, hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and red-cell G6PDH were assayed. Blood sugar was depressed by 23 % (P < 0.01) and 27 % (P < 0.001) in the normal fed and streptozotocin-diabetic rats respectively compared with controls which were given distilled water. Hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose1,6-bisphosphatase activities were depressed by 32 % (P < 0.001) 30 % (P < 0.05) respectively