Abstract
PURPOSE: Chlorophytum borivillianum (Safed musli), is a medicinal plant with enormous medicinal properties and is celebrated as Dhivya Aushad in Ayurveda. The present study was to evaluate the antidiabetic and antioxidant potential of the tuber in Type 2 diabetics. METHOD: The subjects of the study were divided into four groups (Group 1: Nondiabetic control Group 2: Nondiabetic control + C. borivillianum; Group 3: Diabetics + C.borivillianum; Group 4: Diabetics + Glibenclamide) of ten individuals each. The tuber of Chlorophytum borivillianum was administered to Group 2, 3 and 4 subjects for a period of one month. The biochemical parameters like blood glucose, serum lipid profile, the level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, enzymic (CAT, SOD, GPX) and nonenzymic (Vitamin C, Vitamin E, GSH) antioxidants were analysed using standard methods before and after the treatment period. The data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) RESULT: Supplementation of the tuber to Type 2 diabetics showed a substantial decrease in blood glucose, total, LDL, VLDL cholesterol, triglyceride level and a significant (p<0.05) improvement in HDL cholesterol level. The Analysis of Variance clearly indicated that the treatment adopted for Group III subjects (Diabetics + C. borivillianum) was on par with Group IV subjects (Diabetics + glibenclamide). Improved antioxidant status was observed in the controls supplemented with C. borivillianum. Before the treatment diabetics exhibited very low levels of enzymic and nonenzymic antioxidants, but after treatment, these levels significantly increased in the diabetics administered with the tuber of Chlorophytum borivillianum. It was found to be much higher than that of the diabetics taking glibenclamide. CONCLUSION: To conclude, the tuber of C. borivillianum has excellent antioxidant potential and is antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic. The antidiabetic effect produced by the tuber of C. borivillianum is more effective than the drug glibenclamide.