Hypoglycaemic activity of four plants used in Chilean popular medicine

The hypoglycaemic activity of a 20% dried leaf infusion of Bauhinia candica ns Benth. (Leguminosae), Galega officinalis L. (Leguminosae), Morus alba L. (Moraceae) and Rubus ulmifolius Schott, (Rosaceae), used for diabetes in C hilean popular medicine, was evaluated in alloxan and streptozotocin induce d hyperglycaemic rats. In normal rats the different infusions did not modify significantly the gly caemia in the period studied, but in diabetic rats different results were o bserved, depending on the diabetogenic drug used. B. candicans and R. ulmif olius infusions elicited remarkable hypoglycaemic effects in both experimen tal models. B. candicans presented a greater decrease of glycaemia in allox an diabetic rats (39%) and R. ulmifolius showed a similar activity in both alloxan and streptozotocin diabetic rats (28% and 29%). Activity-guided fractionation of R. ulmifolius showed that petroleum ether extracts elicited a marked hypoglycaemic effect (35%) in the streptozotocin induced model. Copyright (C) 1999 John Whey & Sons, Ltd.