Insignificant antidiabetic activities of ethanolic extracts of seeds of Archidendron pauciflorum

Background: Archidendron pauciflorum (Fabaceae), commonly recognised as Dogfruit or Jering (Malaysia), is indigenous to Southeast Asia. The pounded leaves and bark of A. pauciflorum are used to treat gum pains, toothache, chest pains, skin ailments, and wounds. The antidiabetic effect of A. pauciflorum is not clear; hence, the present study is planned to evaluate the antidiabetic activities of ethanol extract of seeds of A. pauciflorum (ESAP) using both in vitro and in vivo models. Materials and Methods: Seeds of A. pauciflorum were sequentially extracted with hexane, chloroform, and ethanol, and the ethanolic extract was used in this study due to its various phytochemical constituents. Inhibitory activity of alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase (in vitro) was measured using the spectrophotometric method. For in vivo study, rats were used to induce diabetes mellitus (induced by streptozotocin) and ESAP was administered at the dose levels of 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg once daily through oral gavage for 21 consecutive days, and the antidiabetic effect of ESAP was compared with glibenclamide. Changes in glucose level and body weight were measured at regular intervals. Results: In vitro inhibition studies demonstrated that the ESAP had a moderate inhibitory activity for alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase. The rats treated with ESAP showed a significant decrease in their body weight at 21 days, whereas the glibenclamide treated rats showed a significant increase in their body weight. The standard drug glibenclamide was observed to significantly lower the blood glucose level, whereas the extract treated group did not show a significant change in levels of blood glucose when compared with control. Conclusion: The ESAP did not show any antidiabetic effect on diabetic rats.