Hypoglycemic Effect of Leucas lavandulaefolia Willd in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats

Leucas lavandulaefolia Willd. is mainly used in Indian folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The oral administration of 0.15, 0.20 and 0.25 g/kg of chloroform extract of the Leucas lavandulaefolia flowers (LLFEt) for 30 days resulted in a significant reduction in blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin and an increase in total hemoglobin, and the effect was highly significant in the case of 0.25 g/kg. It also prevents decrease in body weight. Oral glucose tolerance test was also performed in experimental diabetic rats in which there was a significant improvement in glucose tolerance in animals treated with LLFEt and the effect was compared with glibenclamide. Thus, the study shows that LLFEt has hypoglycemic action.