Evaluation of In vitro Antioxidant Activities and In vivo Antidiabetic Activity of Hygrophila schulli (Buch.-Ham.) Leaf Extract

Background: Hygrophila schulli, a medicinal herb, has traditionally been used to treat a wide range of ailments such as diarrhoea, dysentery, and cough. The aim of this experiment was to seek the antioxidant and antidiabetic properties of the methanolic extract of H. schulli leaf (MEHL) by in vitro and in vivo study.

Methods: Methanol was used as a solvent to extract H. schulli leaves. In vitro antioxidant activity of MEHL was determined by DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging assay and in vitro antidiabetic activity was revealed by α-amylase inhibition assay and α-glucosidase inhibition assay. To explore in vivo antidiabetic properties, diabetes was induced in Swiss albno mice by a single intraperitoneal injection of alloxan at a dose of 80 mg/kg body weight. Swiss albino mice were separated into five groups (normal and diabetic) and orally treated with normal pellet diet, water (normal control and diabetic control), glibenclamide (5 mg/kg BW), and MEHL (100 and 200 mg/kg BW).

Results: MEHL showed significant scavenging activity in DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging assay (IC 50 value is 105.80 µg/mL and 27.47 µg/mL respectively). In the α-amylase inhibition assay, MEHL at a concentration of 120 g/mL inhibited α-amylase activity by 23.13%, furthermore, at 100 g/mL concentration of MEHL, 55.62% inhibition of α-glucosidase activity was detected. Diabetic mice treated with MEHL exhibited a significant decrease in blood glucose levels by 12.66%-33.45% from the 5th to the 21st day in the in vivo assay at a concentration of 200 mg/kg body weight. MEHL significantly reduced the activity of serum SGPT and SGOT in diabetic mice as compared to the control group. In diabetic mice, the extract improved TG, TC, LDL, HDL, and VLDL levels as compared to untreated mice.

Conclusion: The current study indicated that H. schulli leaf extract is a natural source of antioxidants, has substantial antidiabetic effects and enhances lipid profile markers in diabetic mice and may be utilized as an alternate therapy for diabetes control.