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Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic syndrome involving severe insulin dysfunction in conjugation with gross abnormalities in glucose homeostasis and lipid metabolism, which has been affecting several millions of population all over the world. Despite the introduction of hypoglycemic agents from natural as well as synthetic sources, diabetes and its secondary complications continue to be a major health problem for the medical fraternity. Sesbania grandiflora L. Pers. is an Indian medicinal plant which belongs to family Leguminosae possesses a wide array of beneficial and pharmacological properties. In the present study an attempt has been made to evaluate the antidiabetic and antioxidant nature of Sesbania grandiflora leaves. Diabetes was induced by single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (45mg/Kg b.wt). Diabetic rats orally treated with leaves extract ( 300 mg/kg b.w/day) for 30 days resulted in significant (p<0.05) decrease in the levels of blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, blood urea, serum uric acid, serum creatinine and diminished activities of pathophysiological enzymes such as aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The levels of glycogen content and the activities of glycogen metabolizing enzymes were normalized in diabetic rats treated with leaves extract. The elevated oxidative stress marker and diminished antioxidant status were normalized indicating the antioxidant potential of leaves extract. The results of the present study indicate that the leaves extract possess both antidiabetic and antioxidant potent which could be attributed to the presence of pharmacologically active ingredients such as vitamins, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, diterpenes, triterpenoids, glycosides and phenols in the leaves.