Rhinacanthus nasutus restores the glycogen and liver functional markers in streptozotocin - Induced diabetic rats

Introduction: Rhinacanthus nasutus (R. nasutus) belongs to Acanthaceae family and is used into treatment of various types of diseases including cancers, diabetes and skin diseases. Objective: The present study was conducted to determine the glycogen levels in the liver tissue and functional markers such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats using methanolic extract of R. nasutus. Methods: The rats were divided into five groups (n=6 each): Group I (normal controls), Group II (control rats treated with R. nasutus), Group III (untreated diabetic rats), Group IV (diabetic rats treated with R. nasutus) and Group V (diabetic rats treated with glibenclamide). The methanolic extract of R. nasutus was orally administered at 200 mg/kg/day while glibenclamide was administered at 50 mg/kg/day. All animals were treated for 30 days before they were sacrificed. Results: The levels of glycogen were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced in the diabetic rats but were considerably augmented after 30 days of R. nasutus treatment. The elevated AST and ALT levels in diabetic rats showed a significant decline after treatment with R. nasutus for 30 days. Conclusion: The administration of R. nasutus methanolic extract altered the activities of glycogen and liver functional markers in a positive manner thus supporting the traditional use of R. nasutus in the treatment of diabetes.