CORRELATION AMONG ANTIDIABETIC POTENTIAL, BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND GC-MS ANALYSIS OF THE CRUDE EXTRACTS OF JUSTICIA ADHATODA L.

In Pakistan, the number of people with diabetes is steadily growing and adverse side effects are frequently reported for current antidiabetic therapies. Justicia adhatoda L. belongs to Acanthaceae family. Several biological activities are known to occur in different parts of this plant. The effects of Justicia adhatoda leaves on diabetes are very little known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antidiabetic effect of different extracts on diabetic mice and to use gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) to evaluate the chemical constituents present in the Justicia adhatoda extract.Air dried leaves of Justicia adhatoda (JA) were separately extracted with methanol, ethanol and ethyl acetate. The antidiabetic effect of JAME, JA-EE and JA-EAE was assessed separately on diabetic mice at the concentration of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight. Fasting mean levels of blood glucose in normal, untreated diabetic and diabetic mice treated with JA-ME, JA-EE and JAEAE was performed before and after treatment for four weeks. The results indicate thatusing the extracts for 28 days, blood glucose level reduced in all extracts. All extracts reduced high cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, VLDL, bilirubin, ALT, ALP, AST, urea, creatinine and uric acid levels and increased HDL levels. At 400 mg/kg, the JA-ME shows the highest percentage reduction in blood glucose levels. All major components that GC-MS confirms are molecules that are biologically active indicating that certain medicinal properties may be present in the plant.