Anatomical and antihyperglycemic activity of Dichrostachys cinerea roots

Abstract

Background: Dichrostachys cinerea Wight. and Arn. of Mimosaceae family commonly called as Veerataru in Ayurveda. Traditionally, it has been used in diabetes, rheumatism, urinary calculi, renal problems, and menstrual disorders. The plant has been reported to possess diuretic, antiprotozoal, antihelmintic, anticancer, antibacterial, antidiarrheal, and hepatoprotective activity, etc., Although it is an important plant, till date, no reported anatomical, chromatographic data are available on roots. Aim: The present study is aimed to establish anatomical characters of fresh roots of D. cinerea followed by antihyperglycemic and chromatographic studies of various fractions of hydroalcoholic extract of roots. Materials and Methods: Morphoanatomical studies were carried out according to the quality control standards of Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. Hydroalcoholic extract was subjected to fractionation with nonpolar-to-polar solvents. Antihyperglycemic studies were carried out by glucose tolerance test. Results: Transverse section of the fresh root shows the presence of suberized cork, parenchymatous cells containing numerous starch grains. Ethyl acetate fraction has produced significantly (P < 0.01) highest antihyperglycemic activity (52.32%) at a dose of 400 mg/kg among all fractions. High-performance thin-layer chromatography analysis also confirmed the presence of phenols in ethyl acetate and butanol fractions. Conclusion: The current anatomical and chromatographic analysis can be considered as reference standards for future studies on D. cinerea roots. A traditional claim on antidiabetic activity of roots has been scientifically established.

Keywords

• antidiabetic activity
• dichrostachys cinerea
• fractionation
• high-performance thin-layer chromatography
• starch grains