Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Despite the development of oral hypoglycemic medications, diabetes and its associated complications continue to be significant clinical issues. The purpose of this study was to examine the antidiabetic effects of Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek seeds in mice that had been given alloxan to cause diabetes. METHODS: In Swiss albino mice, diabetes was brought on by a single intraperitoneal injection of the drug alloxan (150 mg/kg). For 14 days, glibenclamide (5 mg/kg) and methanol extract of V. radiata seeds (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) were given orally. Following oral administration of V. radiata to mice, the blood glucose levels (BGL) and body weight were measured at 7 and 14 days. The mice were sacrificed at the end of the trial, and blood samples were taken for the evaluation of insulin, glycated hemoglobin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), total cholesterol (TC), and triglyceride (TG) levels. It was determined how much glycogen was present in the liver. Additionally, the total phenolic and flavonoid contents of V. radiata were determined, along with the in vitro DPPH (2, 2 diphenyl-1-picrylhrazyl) free radical-scavenging activity. P < 0.05 was chosen as the cutoff for statistical significance. RESULTS: Following oral administration of V. radiata for 14 days, diabetic mice's BGL and bad cholesterol (TC and TG) levels significantly decreased, while HDL levels increased. Treatment with V. radiata significantly decreased the levels of AST, ALT, and glycated hemoglobin when compared with diabetes control. On the other hand, it raised insulin levels and the amount of liver glycogen. V. radiata underwent phytochemical analysis, which identified the presence of tannins, saponins, phenols, alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, flavonoids, and glycosides. Per gram of V. radiata seed extract, the total phenolic content was 43.12 ± 3.14 mg of gallic acid equivalents, while the total flavonoid content was 38.35 ± 2.6 mg of quercetin equivalents. Ascorbic acid was shown to have an IC(50) value of 18.64 µg/ml during a DPPH-scavenging assay, while V. radiata had an IC(50) value of 73.35 µg/ml. CONCLUSION: According to the findings of the current study, the methanolic extract of the seeds from the plant V. radiata possesses significant antidiabetic characteristics that are on par with those of the commonly used drug glibenclamide. Hence, V. radiata seems to be effective as a natural antidiabetic.