Abstract:
The toxicity and hypoglycemic properties of the medicinal weed
phyllanthus niruri were the subject of this study.
Forty one - day old Bovans type cockerels were used in this study,
32 non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients were also
participated in this study, and other 14 NIDDM patients also were selected
and served as control.
The aim of this study were to test if the herb p. niruri possess
hypoglycemic activity by lowering blood glucose level when NIDDM
patients treated with capsulated plant powder tablets of 250mg/ capsule and
to rule- out the toxic action of the herb on experimental birds when fed a
diet containing different concentration of p. niruri plant powder mixed with
the bird diet at 1% 5% and 10%.
The birds after the acclimatization period were divided into 4 group
and treated as follows:
1. Group (A) contain 5 chicks and kept as control by feeding the birds the
normal diet which consist of a mixture of 5% concentrator, 20% ground
nut cake, 11% wheat prans and 0.5% sodium chloride.
2. Group (B) consist of 11 chicks were fed by 1% of the herb phyllanthus
niruri mixed with the normal diet.
3. Group (C) contains 12 chicks fed with a diet mixed with 5% P. niruri
plant.
4. Group (D) contains 12 chicks fed with a dried mixed with 10% P. niruri
plant.
During the course of the experiment all birds in the 4 groups were
kept under observation to detect the progress of the growth and behavior of
the birds and observe any signs of toxicity or other illness.
After the termination of the experiment, some of the bird internal
body organs such as intestine, liver, kidney and heart were taken and
subjected to histopathological examinations.
Blood samples from the birds were also taken during and after the
feeding experiment for biochemical and hematological investigations.
As far as the study of the hypoglycemic action of P. niruri was
concerned, 32 NIDDM were involved in this study in which they were
given 6 tablets of P. niruri dried powder manufactured at Wafrapharma
Medical Core, Omdurman, Sudan, each capsule contains about 250 mg of
plant powder.
The treatment experiment continued for 60 days, during which
samples of blood were taken from each participant and subjected to
biochemical and hematological examinations. Blood samples were taken
after the end of the treatment period in either group of the study and
biochemical and hematological parameters were estimated.
The results obtained from this study showed that throughout and up
to the end of treatments period, birds of either group fed p.niruri powder
maintained normal growth condition and healthy appearance, no symptoms
of toxicity or abnormal behavior were apparent. Biochemical, and
hematological investigations of blood samples taken from chicks during
and at the termination of the feeding experiment (3 weeks), showed no
significant alteration; from control chicks when statistically assessed at
p
< 0.05 except remarkable and significant changes were achieved in blood
glucose level of treated birds in comparison to control birds at p < 0.05 of
probability.
Histopathological examinations of some body organs of the birds
(intestine, liver, kidney, heart) after the feeding treatment of different
concentration of phyllanthus niruri plant mixed with chicks diet at 1%, 5%
and 10%, showed no abnormality from control, no specific lesions or
hemorrhage, or loss of architecture were detected up to the end of the
experiment, this findings lead to the suggestion and confirm that
phyllanthus niruri plant given orally for certain period to experimental
chicks possess no toxic or poisoning properties, and may contain no
poisonous compound of serious lethal effect.
Testing the effect of the treating 32 NIDDM diabetic patients for two
months with capsulated tablets of dry powder of phyllanthus niruri of
a concentration of 250 mg/tablet revealed that the herb at the first place had
no features of side effects or incidence of unpleasant smell, and also a
greater feeling of well-being was the common feeling among the NIDDM
patients. The results of p. niruri treatment also exhibited remarkable and
significant decrease in blood glucose levels of treated NIDDM patients at p
< 0.05 compared with control NIDDM patients, in which random blood
glucose showed progressive decrease from an average of 200 mg/dl at the
onset of the treatment (initial value) to 144 mg/dl (p <0.05) after 30 days
and with 136 mg/dl at 60 days of the experiment (final day) at (p <0.05). A
significant reduction of about 32% of control value was achieved. Mean
fasting blood glucose also showed progressive decrease from 150 mg/dl to
116 mg/dl at the initial day of the treatment at (p <0.05), and to 110 mg/dl
at the final day of the treatment with p value of <0.05 on the contrary, mean
2-hours postprandial blood glucose, tend to be as much as stable in both
diabetic NIDDM group up to the end of the treatment period. No
signification alteration in the initial value (25108 mg/dl), compared with
the final value (236 mg/d) after 30 days at (p >0.05), and 212.8 mg/dl after
60 days of the treatment at (p >0.05). The result also indicated that p.
Other biochemical parameters (total protein, albumin, uric acid,
AST, ATT) and hematological index (Hb, RBCs, WBCs, PCV, MCH,
MCHC) showed no significant changes from control values at any state of
p. niruri treatment. A positive correlation between blood glucose and urine
glucose were existed and negative correlations between blood sugar
parameters and uric acid were also existed.
The findings of this study may suggested that phyllanthus niruri
taken as capsulated tablets as dry powder of 250 mg/dl per tablet by
NIDDM patients for 60 days, has shown significant decrease in blood
glucose level, and the hypoglycemic property of this herb accompanied
with no incidence of side effects or bad smell or taste but with a greater
feeling of well-being. The study also presented data strongly substantiated
and confirm the literatures information that phyllanthus niruri plant is an
herb or medical plant of safe and useful usage and contains no toxic or
poisoning compound and safe oral or internal applications.