Antidiabetic Property of Klorostrep (Andrographis paniculata)

Leaf Extract
Alma B. Segismundo
May Evelia V. Ruadap
Jeem Carlo Pula
Louela Artates
Introduction
Medical science has made a remarkable advancement through the discovery of
numerous drugs and medicines antibiotics, hormones, and vaccines for the treatment
of several diseases. Nevertheless, more researches are still needed to be done to discover
cure for many diseases that still remain incurable. This therefore underscores the need to
involve herbal medicine in the fight against diseases, because it is cost effective with little
or no side effects (Ndubilo, 2015).
Republic Act 8423 known as Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act (TAMA)
of 1997 gave rise to the creation of Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative
Health Care (PITAHC) for the promotion of using traditional and alternative health care
modalities by means of scientific research and product development. After that, the
Philippine Department of Health (DOH) through its Traditional Health Program has
endorsed 10 medicinal plants to be used as herbal medicines in Philippines. These are the
following medicinal plants to be considered: Akapulko, Ampalaya, Bawang, Bayabas,
Lagundi, Niyog-Niyogan, Sambong, Tsaang Gubat, Ulasimang Bato, and Yerba Buena.
The number of people with diabetes is now considered to have reached epidemic
proportions. Globally more the 150 million people have diabetes, accounting for more than 2% of
the world's population and 35% of adults in most westernized societies. The incidence rates of
type 1 and particularly type 2 diabetes are increasing in all societies and on all continents. Type 2

diabetes accounts for more than 95% of all diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is highly prevalent in the
elderly and is now emerging in childhood. In developed countries diabetes and its complications
constitute the fourth or fifth leading cause of death, and type 2 diabetes reduces remaining
lifespan by 510 years. Diabetes (all types) is estimated to affect about 2.4 million people
(prevalence of 4%) in the UK, of whom 1.4 million (prevalence of 2.5%) are diagnosed and one
million undiagnosed. With the global prevalence of diabetes predicted to exceed 220 million by
2010 and 300 million by 2025 there is a major international challenge for optimal intervention
and prevention strategies (http://dvd.sagepub.com/content/1/1/37.short?rss=1&ssource=mfc).

Insulin is the only hormone that promotes movement of glucose from blood into
cells. Because of this, disruptions in insulin signalling can become a problem. People
with type I or insulin-dependent, diabetes mellitus, lack the insulin-secreting cells and
consequently produce no insulin. While most diabetic patients, however, have type II or
non insulin-dependent, diabetes mellitus. They generally have normal or even abovenormal levels of insulin in their blood, but their cells have reduced sensitivity to insulin
(Mason et al. (20110 as cited by Ragasa and Castaneda (2015).
Klorostrep, scientifically known as A. paniculata is an erect annual herb that
belongs to family Acanthacaea. It is locally known as Aluy and Lekha in Tagalog,
Klorostreip in Ilokano, Mahatita in India, Chuan Xin Lian in China, and King of Bitters
in English. The herb can be found in a variety of habitats like wastelands, roadsides,
hillsides, and even coastlines. It grows erect to a height of 30-110 cm in moist, shady
places, and thrives best in a sunny location. The slender stem is dark green, squared in
cross-section with longitudinal furrows and wings along the angles. The lance-shaped
leaves have hairless blades measuring up to 8 cm long by 2.5 cm wide. The small

flowers are borne in spreading racemes. The fruit is a capsule around 2 cm long and a
few cm wide. It contains many yellow-brown seeds (Ndubilo, 2015).
It has been reported that the plant contains andrographolide or bitter diterpenoid
lactones, which led the researchers to evaluate the plants antidiabetic property, hence this
study.
Objectives
1. Determine the antidiabetic property of klorostrep (A. paniculata) leaves in terms
of blood sugar level of the diabetic-induced Albino rats subjected to the following
treatments:
a. T1 Glibenclamide?
b. T2 100 ml/kg body weight?
c. T3 200 ml/kg body weight?
2.

Determine the significant difference in the antidiabetic property in terms of the

blood sugar level between and among the different treatments subjected to
klorostrep (A. paniculata) leaves.

Scope and Delimitation

This research will be delimited only to the evaluation of the antidiabetic property
of klorostrep (A. paniculata) leaves in terms of blood sugar level of the diabetes-induced
Albino rats. Leaves of the plant sample will be submitted to the NRSU, SLU, Baguio
City for the extraction process. The antidiabetic property testing will be conducted at the
Natural Products and Biotechnology Laboratory, Science Complex, UNP, Vigan City,
Ilocos Sur from July-August 2015.

Review of Literature and Studies

The following readings aided the researchers in the conceptualization of this
study.
Diabetes mellitus is a group of diseases characterized by elevated levels of
glucose in the blood. Diabetes is caused by problems producing or responding to the
hormone insulin. Insulin is produced in the pancreas by specialized cells called beta cells,
in response to the presence of glucose absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract
following a meal. Insulin promotes the uptake of glucose into muscle and fat cells, and it
promotes the storage of excess glucose in the liver.
Excess blood glucose over time damages organs, particularly the eyes, kidneys,
nerves, heart, and blood vessels. It is the leading cause of adult blindness, end-stage
kidney disease, and lower limb amputations, and it is a major risk factor for heart attacks
and strokes. Diabetes is classified into four major groups: type 1 diabetes (T1DM), type 2
diabetes (T2DM), other specific types, and gestational diabetes (GDM), occurring during
pregnancy Ragasa and Castaneda, 2015).
Antidiabetic drugs are medicines that help control blood sugar levels in people
with diabetes mellitus. It can be subdivided into six groups: insulin, sufonylureas, alphaglucosidase inhibitors, biguanides, meglitinides, and thiazolidinediones (Uretsky, Samuel,
Odle, and Teresa (2006) as cited by Ragasa and Castaneda (2015).
Insulin is a hormone that regulates the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood and
is required for the body to function normally. Insulin is produced by cells in the pancreas,
called the islets of Langerhans. These cells continuously release a small amount of insulin

into the body, but they release surges of the hormone in response to a rise in the blood
glucose level (http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2897100052.html).
Insulin's most important feature is its ability to increase the rate of glucose (a
crystalline sugar) absorption by cells. Glucose is the most efficient fuel used by and
found in almost all cells. Insulin causes a decreased concentration of glucose in the blood
and causes the cells to store glycogen (a starch like substance), mostly in the liver. It also
promotes the entry of other sugars and amino acids into the muscle and fat cells. Insulin
is therefore responsible for promoting fat storage in fat cells and for the total quantity of
protein in the body (http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3498100145.html).
Andrographis paniculata is widely cultivated in Southern and Southeastern Asian
countries, but it originated from India and Sri Lanka. It is an important ingredient in
Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of vitiligo, fever and liver
diseases as well as host of other diseases (Ndubilo, 2015).
Although all parts of the plant have traditionally been used, the leaves are the
most common medicinal part. The leaves contain a number of bioactive constituents that
make it highly medicinal. The most active constituent is andrographolide, diterpene
lactones, flavonoids, ergosterol peroxide, andrographine, and panicoline (Ndubilo, 2015).
Ndubilo (2015) conducted a study on the Antimicrobial Activity of Klorostrep
Leaves against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Results showed that the
diameter of growth inhibition increased with an increasing quantity of the leaf extract.
But generally, its antimicrobial activity against the two test organisms is from inactive to

partially active, hence the plants leaves are not good antimicrobial agents to the two test
organisms used.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A. EXTRACTION PROCESS
Five Hundred grams of the plants leaves will be submitted to the
Natural Science Research Unit, St. Louis University, Baguio City for the
extraction process.
B. ANTIDIABETIC PROPERTY TESTING (adopted from Ragasa and Castaneda,
et al (2015).
1. Procurement of animals
Albino rats weighing 150-200 grams will be housed in cages and maintained
under standard laboratory conditions. The animals will be fed with standard rat pellet diet
and water ad libitum.
2.

Induction of diabetes

Twenty Albino rats will be fasted overnight in preparation for the injection of
alloxan monohydrate by a single intraperitoneal injection. The solution will be prepared
by dissolving 1200 mg (1.2 g) in 16 ml of normal saline solution (0.9%). Fasting blood
glucose level of the animals will be checked after 72 h. Animals with blood glucose level
135 mg/dl will be considered diabetic and will be used for the study.

3. Antidiabetic Property Testing

Nine alloxan-induced diabetic rats fasted for 18 h will be divided into three equal
groups. Initial fasting blood samples will be taken from the animals of all the groups for
determination of blood sugar level. The animals of group I will serve as the positive
control using Glibenclamide, group II will represent the 100 ml pure extract, and group
III will represent the 200 ml pure extract which will be treated orally using catheter and
syringe. The administration of the extract depends on the body weight of the animals.
Blood samples will be drawn from the tail vein of the rats 24 hours after the
treatment. The blood samples drawn will be analyzed using Easy Touch Glucometer for
the blood sugar level.

Statistical Analysis
The following statistical tools will be used in the analysis of the data gathered in
the study.
The Mean will be used to get the average of the blood glucose levels.
One factor Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) will be used to determine the
significant difference between the blood sugar levels of the diabetes-induced Albino rats
in the different treatments subjected to the klorostrep leaf extract.

REFERENCES

Ndubilo, Paul Chukwuemeka. 2015. Antimicrobial Activity of Klorostrep (Andrographis

Paniculata) Leaf Extract. BS Biology Undergraduate Thesis. University of

Northern
Philippines, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur.
Ragasa, Rhizza Gene Mae and Paul John Castaneda. 2015. Antidiabetic Property of
CadeNa de Amor Vine. BS Biology Undergraduate Thesis. University of Northern
Philippines, Vigan City, Ilocos Sur.
http://dvd.sagepub.com/content/1/1/37.short?rss=1&ssource=mfc

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2897100052.html
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3498100145.html