ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the hypoglycemic effect of flavonoids from Prinsepia utilis Royle in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. METHODS: The hypoglycemic effects were investigated in alloxan-induced diabetic mice after oral administration of 300 mg/kg of flavonoids from Prinsepia utilis Royle for four weeks. The blood glucose (GLU), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and body weight of mice were determined. RESULTS: Flavonoids from Prinsepia utilis Royle had influence on body weight increasing of diabetic mice in three weeks, but had no influence in the fourth week. Flavonoids from Prinsepia utilis Royle exhibited hypoglycemic effects. Among these fractions, flavonoids from Prinsepia utilis Royle significantly reduced GLU, TG and AST level in diabetic mice compared with model control group (P<0.01), markedly reduced VLDL-C, ALT and BUN level in diabetic mice compared with model control group (P<0.05), but had little influence on TC. CONCLUSION: Flavonoids from Prinsepia utilis Royle possess significant hypoglycemic activities, they can improve hypothepatia of diabetic mice and have protective effect on renal function of diabetic mice.
