Effect of Bridelia ferruginea Benth (Euphorbiaceae) ethyl acetate and acetone fractions on insulin resistance in fructose drinking mice

Ethnopharmacological relevance: The root of Bridelia ferruginea is traditionally used as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. The present study was investigated to evaluate the effect of Bridelia ferruginea root bark fractions on some markers of type 2 diabetes on fructose drinking mice.

Materials and methods: Mice received a solution of fructose 15% during 42 days ad libitum; at the 15th day to the 42nd day, they received distilled water for fructose drinking control group, metformin 50 mg/kg per day or fractions 50 mg/kg per day for treatment groups. The normal control group received only distilled water during the experiment. After 6 weeks of experiment, OGTT, fasting blood glucose, plasma insulin, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol, AST and ALT levels were measured.

Results: Fructose drinking control group (F) showed significant (p<0.001) increase of glucose tolerance, plasma levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides and insulin index for insulin resistance (Homeostasis Model Assessment ratio HOMA-IR) as compared to normal control mice. In treated groups, there was a significant reduction of glucose intolerance respectively 74% (p<0.001), 25% (p<0.5) and 92% (p<0.001) for ethyl acetate fraction, acetone fraction and metformin at the same dose of 50 mg/kg per day during 4 weeks administration. In ethyl acetate fraction and metformin treated groups, biochemical parameters and insulin index were significantly (p<0.001) lower than that of fructose drinking control group.

Conclusions: This indicates that Bridelia ferruginea root bark ethyl acetate fraction improved insulin resistance as metformin significantly in type 2 diabetes.