Biological activity of Bauhinia racemosa against Diabetes and Interlinked Disorders like Obesity and Hyperlipidemia

Background: Bauhinia racemosa Lam. (BR) has been used widely for the treatment of diabetes since ancient times. Along with its medicinal importance; the tree having great traditional value in India. The protocol was performed using Wistar rats to determine the effect of petroleum ether extract of BR leaves on blood glucose level, adipose tissue and lipid profile. The study was further evaluted to determine insulin level, glucose tolerance, food and water intake of the animals. Methods: Wistar rats of both sexes were selected for the study. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) 45 mg/kg. Animals were divided into five groups namely control group, diabetic group, reference group (glibenclamide) and two test groups BR-1 (250 mg/kg extract) and BR-2 (500 mg/kg) each group containing 6 animals. Daily dosing was performed for 28 days and feed and water consumption was observed regularly at the end of the study. Results: The main finding of the study for the test extract was that the petroleum ether extract of BR leaves prevented a rise in blood glucose level in STZ induced diabetic animal. Furthermore, extract showed significant antiadipogenic and antihyperlipidemic effect. It improved lipid profile by decreasing the levels of serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Extract exhibited the concentration-dependent inhibitory effect with an IC50 value of 660.26 μg/ml. Conclusions: It can be concluded from the study that BR extract posses signigicant antidiabetic activity by reducing blood glucose level of diabetic rats. It also normalized adipose tissues and lipid level. Due to its potential, it may be an effective drug for treatment of diabetes and related complications like obesity and dyslipidemia.