Hypolipidemic activities of <i>Ficus racemosa</i> linn. Bark in alloxan induced diabetic rats

Ficus racemosa (Moraceae family) is used in traditional system of medicine for the treatment of several disorders including diabetes mellitus. The aim of the study was to investigate the antihyperglycemic and hypolipidemic activities of ethanolic extract of Ficus racemosa bark (FrEBet) in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. A total number of 30 animals were divided into 5 groups of six each. Diabetes mellitus was induced by single intraperitoneal injection of freshly prepared solution of alloxan monohydrate (150 mg/kg bw) dissolved in physiological saline in overnight fasted wistar rats. Dose dependent studies for FrEBet (100-500 mg/kg bw) was carried out to find out the effective pharmacological dose (antidiabetic and hypolipidemic) to alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Blood glucose, plasma insulin, total cholesterol, phospholipids, triglycerides, free fatty acids, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels in plasma, erythrocyte membranes, liver and kidney were determined by specific colorimetric methods. An increase in blood glucose was accompanied by an increase in total cholesterol, phospholipids, triglycerides, FFA and decrease in HDL cholesterol in diabetic rats. Oral administration of FrEBet (300 mg/kg bw) to diabetic rats restored the status of blood glucose, lipids and lipoproteins to near normal range. Our investigation thus shows that FrEBet has potent antidiabetic and hypolipidemic effects in alloxan-induced diabetic rats and these effects were much comparable to that of the standard reference drug, glibenclamide.