The anti oxidative effect of administration of 100 mg/kg bw and 200 mg/kg bw of the flower powder of Cassia auriculata (CFP) for 45 days to normoglycemic and diabetic rats (streptozotocin induced) was studied. Anti oxidative effect was not observed in normoglycemic rats in the experiment. There was significant (P > 0.05) increase in the level of Thio Barbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS), hydroperoxide and conjugated dienes and significant (P > 0.05) decrease in the catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities and in the level of ascorbic acid, vitamin E and reduced glutathione in diabetic rats. The flower powder of Cassia auriculata significantly (P > 0.05) decreased the TBARS, hydroperoxide and conjugated dienes and increased the antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase) and non enzymic anti oxidants (ascorbic acid, vitamin E and reduced glutathione). The antioxidatve effect of 200 mg/kg bw CFP was significantly (P > 0.05) better than 100 mg/kg bw CFP and the reference drugs (tolbutamide and metformin). The mode of action of CFP remains to be elicited.

The flower of Cassia auriculata commonly used for treatment, especially in Ayurvedic medicine in India was tested for mutagenicity by the Ames test using Salmonella typhimurium TA 98, TA 100 and TA 102 strains. The genotoxicity assessment of flower powder of Cassia auriculata was performed in aqueous extract 1:10. The flower powder of Cassia auriculata did not induce any frame shift mutation in the strain TA 98, which indicates its antimutagenic effect and did not cause any base pair substitution at the dose level tested 100µg/plate. The colony counts in all the three strains were found close to the spontaneous revertants frequency showing that flower powder of Cassia auriculata is antimutagenic at the dose level tested (100µg/plate).

This study examines the relationship between erythrocyte membrane bound Acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) activity, gly cated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level and lipid peroxidation (formation of malondialdehyde). The aim was to elucidate the effect of HbA1c and lipid peroxidation on the activity of acetyl cholinesterase (AChE). Control subjects were non diabetic volunteers and the test group was diabetic patients with fasting glucose level of more than 150mg%. HbA1c, total hemoglo bin, plasma glucose, lipid peroxidation and activity of AChE were determined. Observations indicate that elevated levels of lipid peroxidation in erythrocyte membrane of glycated hemoglobin of diabetic patients. HbA1c significantly increases lipid peroxidation and decreases the activity of AChE. Our data indicates that erythrocyte membrane bound enzyme AChE is significantly related to lipid peroxidation. Glycation of the hemoglobin increases the lipid peroxidation and alters the membrane bound enzyme function.