Biomedical Research

Objectives: Chenopodium album (Bathua) is commonly occurring small herb and has found to have different biological activities. Folk medicine claims its use in the treatment of diabetes in many part of the world. Method: Different extracts of plant investigated for phytochemical and hypoglycemic potentials, were obtained by successive solvent extraction of the whole plant parts using solvents of different polarities in an increasing order of polarity (Petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol). The phytochemical investigations revealed that all the three extracts of the plant have metabolites of different chemical groups notably glycosides, flavonoids, phenols. Chloroform extract and methanol extract also found to have alkaloids in them. The hypoglycemic investigation of Chenopodium album was carried out in alloxan (200 mg/kg) induced diabetic rabbits (albino) by treating them with crude extracts of this plant. Results: Significant antidiabetic activity was evident with the Petroleum ether and Chloroform extracts at a dose of 100 μg/kg. The methanol extract did not show any hypoglycemic activity at this dose. Active extracts were tested with a double dose of 200 μg/kg and both extracts showed significant reduction in blood glucose level of the alloxan induced diabetic rabbits. The antidiabetic effect of Chenopodium album extracts was might be due to presence of glycosides, flavonoids and phenolic constituents. Isolation of active constituents from these extracts can lead to new drug molecule discovery.

Author(s): Muhammad Khalil-ur-Rehman
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