<i>In vitro</i> Anti-diabetic and Anti-oxidative Evaluation of Hydro-methanol Bark Extract of <i>Bauhinia acuminata (L.)</i>

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a multifactorial disease of significant public health concern globally. This study aimed to assess the in-vitro  effect of hydro-methanol (3:2) Bauhinia acuminata stem bark extract on diabetes and diabetes-linked oxidative stress to develop an  herbal-based product against diabetic complications. Qualitative analysis, TLC, and LC-MS were performed to determine the  phytomolecule(s) in the extract. Diabetes was induced in rats by a single intramuscular injection of streptozotocin. The liver, kidney, small  intestine, heart, and skeletal muscle were dissected from the control and diabetic groups on the 29th day of streptozotocin injection and placed immediately into the in-vitro media and dosed with the extract except for the control and untreated diabetic groups.  Carbohydrate metabolic enzymes, anti-oxidative markers, and general toxicity sensors were evaluated. Dosing of extract at 10, 20, and 40  mg/10 mL of invitro media reduced the activity of glucose-6-phosphatase significantly (p<0.05), but hexokinase activity in liver, skeletal,  and cardiac muscle were unchanged compared with the untreated diabetic group. Inhibition in enteric alpha-glucosidase activity was  noted. The activities of antioxidant enzymes and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances level were recovered significantly (p<0.05) in the  hepatic and renal tissues after extract treatment compared to the untreated diabetic group. Glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and  glutamate pyruvate transaminase activities were reduced in the tissues of treated groups compared to the untreated diabetic group. This  study showed that at 1mg/ml, the extract exhibited significant effects on the metabolic function of diabetic rat tissues with an  increase in endogenous antioxidant levels.