Investigation of The in Vitro Antioxidant Activity, In Vivo Antidiabetic Efficacy and Safety of Capparis Tomentosa Aqueous Roots Extracts in Male Alloxanized Mice

Abstract

The current study investigated the in vitro antioxidant activity, in vivo antidiabetic efficacy and safety of Capparis tormentosa aqueous root extracts. Antioxidant activity was determined using 1, 1-diphenyl-2picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), phosphomolybdate and reducing power assay with ascorbic and gallic acid as references. Six groups of BALB/c mice each comprising of five were used in evaluating the antidiabetic activity. Diabetes mellitus was induced in five groups using 10% alloxan monohydrate at a dose of 186.9 mg/kg body weight. Non-diabetic control mice was orally administered with 0.1 ml physiological saline; diabetic mice with 0.075 mg of reference drug, glibenclamide at 3 mg/kg body weight; 1.25 mg, 2.5 mg, and 5 mg extracts in 0.1 ml physiological saline for 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight, and the other group of diabetic mice was given 0.1 ml physiological saline. The blood glucose level was determined after 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 hours. Safety was evaluated by daily administration of a single dose of 1000 mg/kg body weight extract to BALB/c male mice of comparable age and weight over a period of one month, while recording body weights every 7 days and organs weights after the 28th day. The antioxidant activity by DPPH was 35.50 ± 0.02%, by phosphomolybdate assay was 41.22 ± 0.17 mg/kg ascorbic acid equivalent, and the reducing power increased with increase in concentration up to a maximum at 800 µg/ml. The antidiabetic activity was dose dependent and significantly higher. There was no significant change in body weights for treated and untreated mice in safety studies (p = 0.69), and the weight gain was normal for both experimental and control mice. Except kidneys, which changed significantly (p = 0.009), all the other organ weights were not affected. The study supports the claim that C. tormentosa is effective and safe in the management of diabetes mellitus.