Blood Glucose Lowering Activity of the Terpenoid – Phenol Extract from The Pulp of Crescentia Cujete

AUTHOR(S)

Ms. Mary Anne V. Gutierrez, RPh, MSPh, PhD (with academic units)

ABSTRACT

Diabetes mellitus is a major endocrine disorder affecting the population worldwide. The Philippines, which has a population of about 88.6 million and is categorized as a lower- middle income country by the World Bank has been reported to have about 7.8% of its population in the year 2030 to be suffering from diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus is a complex and a multifarious group of disorders that disturbs the metabolism of carbohydrates, fat and protein. It results from shortage or lack of insulin secretion or reduced sensitivity of the tissue to insulin. Of the diabetes mellitus cases, it has been reported that there are a greater number of patients suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus. Medicinal plants play an important role in the management of diabetes mellitus especially in developing countries where affordability and accessibility of drugs is a problem. Several plant constituents have shown to possess hypoglycemic and anti- diabetic activities. Among these are terpenes like iridoids, flavonoids, glycosides like iridoid glucosides, alkaloids, etc. Experimental method using standard laboratory procedures was utilized to determine the ALD and the median lethal dose, and blood glucose lowering activity of the Terpenoid – Phenol extract of Crescentia cujete in Swiss mice.After conducting the different tests, the following findings were obtained: (1.)The toxicological test of the terpenoid – phenol extract of the pulp of Crescentia cujete revealed a non-toxic dose of up to 1000 mg/kg. The approximate lethal dose confirmed a physiological changed commencing at 2500mg/kg until 10, 000mg/kg. The LD50 was established to be 14,454.40 mg/kg. (2.) Crescentia cujete extract at a dose of 100 mg/kg, 160 mg/kg, 250 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg, and 630 mg/kg lowered the blood glucose level on glucose induced hyperglycemic Swiss mice. (3.) The difference in the blood glucose lowering activity of the Crescentia cujete terpenoid – phenol extract and that of a standard hypoglycemic agent, Glibenclamide is not statistically significant. This research demonstrated that the Terpenoid – Phenol extract of Crescentia cujete has no statistically significant blood glucose lowering activity.