Evaluation of anti-hyperglycemic effect of Gracilaria corticata extract in Normal and Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic rats

Abstract

Diabetes is a growing health concern worldwide and now emerging as an epidemic world over. The management of diabetes is still a major challenge. Diabetes is characterized by excessive blood sugar due to body’s failure to produce insulin or the consequence of insulin resistance. The present study was designed to investigate the anti-hyperglycemic effect of different extract (Ethyl Acetate, Methanol and Aqueous) of Gracilaria corticata seaweed on normal and streptozotocin (STZ) induced in diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced into male albino Wistar rats by intraperitonial administration of STZ. The Gracilaria corticata different extract was administered orally at three different doses to normal and STZ-diabetic rats for 0hrs-2hrs and 0-15 days. Effect of G. corticata (15 day) on blood glucose and body weight in normal and STZ-diabetic rats was evaluated. Significant increase in blood glucose level and decrease in body weight was observed in diabetic rats when compared to normal. Treatment with G. corticata extracts lowered plasma glucose and elevated body weight significantly as compared to STZ-diabetic rats. The results suggested that methanolic extract of G. corticata at a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight exhibited a considerable hypoglycemic effect and could be developed as a potential hypoglycemic agent for the management of diabetes.