Antidiabetic effect of the aerial part ethanolic extracts of Zygophyllum geslini Coss. in streptozotocin induced-diabetic rats

Abstract

Zygophyllum geslini Coss commonly called Aggaya is a zygophyllacae very widespread in the Algerian Sahara. The present study investigate the antidiabetic effect of the ethanolic extract of Z. geslini aerial part administered orally in Wistar rats rendered diabetic by the intravenous injection of 50 mg/kg of streptozotocin. The present study consists of two essential parts. The first realized over a long period was devoted to the study of the ethanolic extract effect on glycemia and body weight during five weeks. In this first series of experiments, a non significant reduction of glycemia was noticed. The second part consists of the follow-up of the variation of the glycemia after treatment by the same extract during 7 hours. A significant reduction in glycemia was observed between the second and seventh hour after administration of 1.0 g/kg ethanolic extract. This reduction can go up to 75 % of basal glycemia. Thus, the ethanolic extract at 1 g/kg is endowed with a remarkable antidiabetic activity. This extract may thus represent a natural resource of new antidiabetic substances.