ABSTRACT
This paper presents a method for the screening of natural hypoglycaemic drugs that interfere with the intestinal absorption of glucose. Luminal perfusion of the small intestine (whole length) was carried out on 24 h fasted adult Wistar rats, anaesthetized with sodium pentobarbital. Two rubber Nelaton cannulae were introduced into the organ, the first at the proximal end of the duodenum, just after the pylorus and a second larger one near the ileo-cecal valve. After a preliminary washing with warm physiological saline to remove any alimentary residues and secretions, warm saline containing glucose (plain or with added putative absorption inhibitors), was then introduced into the gut. Ten minutes later the contents was expelled with air and the preparation fully washed with plain warm saline. All perfusates were separately collected up to volume in graduated flasks kept in chipped ice. The glucose concentration was measured in triplicate samples by the specific glucose-oxidase method. The intestinal absorption of the sugar was calculated by difference from the glucose concentration found in the initial solution and in the final perfusate. The method is reliable and highly reproducible