Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Diabetes mellitus is one of the most recognized and clinically significant disorders of the endocrine system, Based on recent advances and involvement of oxidative stress in complicating diabetes mellitus, efforts are on to find suitable antidiabetic and antioxidant therapy. Aegle marmelos (L.) Corr. is one of the most important Indian medicinal plants which has enormous traditional values against various diseases and many bioactive compounds have been isolated from this plant.

Methods: In the present study 60 NIDDM patients on oral hypoglycaemic drugs were randomly divided into two groups; 30 subjects (11 males and 19 females) were supplemented with the juice of A. marmelos fresh leaves (20 g/100 ml) every morning empty stomach for 60 days against 30 (14 males and 16 females) subjects as controls. The ‘antioxidant power’ of the serum (ferric reducing ability of plasma), was taken as the indicator of total antioxidant potential.

Results: Supplementation of the juice significantly (P<0.0001) decreased fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels and significant (P<0.0001) increase in serum antioxidant activity (serum FRAP). Whereas significant (P=0.008) increase in fasting blood glucose levels and significant decrease in serum antioxidant activity (P<0.0001) was observed for control.

Conclusion: The present study proves the antidiabetic activity of the A. marmelos leaves. We believe antioxidant therapy along with monitoring of host antioxidant defence would definitely help in blocking the effects of oxidative stress. We propose that A. marmelos leaf juice as an antioxidant therapy monitored with the help of FRAP assay along with oral hypoglycaemic drugs can control blood glucose to normal levels in patients whose diabetes is not controlled with these agents or produce adverse effects on dose increments.

Disclosure: UGC BSR.