Hypoglycaemic Effect of Medicinal Herb Phyllanthus (Niruri on Diabetic Patients of Type-II diabetes (NIDDM

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.