In Vitro and in Vivo Evaluation of Antidiabetic Activity of Leaf Essential Oil of Pulicaria inuloides-Asteraceae

Abstract

The essential oil of leaf of P. inuloides was extracted by using hydrodistillation process and the volatile components investigated with the help of gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Diabetic rats were treated with a 400 mg/kg dose of essential oil of P. inuloides orally for 3 h (acute) or 21 days (chronic). In acute model blood glucose levels were monitored at specific intervals. In the chronic model blood samples were collected from overnight fasted diabetic rats on day 21 to estimate blood glucose level. And the body weight, serum lipid profile and activities of liver and kidney enzymes were measured. Histopathological observations of liver sections were also studied. Total seventy compounds were identified as 2-Cyclohexen-1-one, 2-methyl-5-(1-methylethyl)-, (S)- 58.19%; Oxirane, 2-ethyl-2-methyl- 8.25%; 1,2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, diisooctyl ester 13.18%; n-Hexadecanoic acid 2.12% by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Treatment of diabetic rats with 400 mg/kg of P. inuloides proved to have significant (P < 0.05) antihyperglycemic effect and have the capacity to correct the metabolic disturbances associated with diabetes. Histopathological studies showed that the essential oil of P. inuloides reinforced the healing of liver.