Healing from the Islands: Hypoglycemic Power of Cagayan’s Endemic Flora | InformativeBD

Jane R. Sambrana, and Andy L. Catulin, from the different institute of Philippines. wrote a Reseach Article about, Healing from the Islands: Hypoglycemic Power of Cagayan’s Endemic Flora. Entitled, Three Cagayan Island endemic flora: Its phytochemicals and hypoglycemic effect on alloxan induced Sprague Dawley Rat. This research paper published by the Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences |JBES. an open access scholarly research journal on Biodiversity. under the affiliation of the International Network For Natural Sciences| INNSpub. an open access multidisciplinary research journal publisher.

Abstract

Cagayan province is blessed with vast flora with presence of many island species that are endemic. Currently, different botanicals have been formulated as pharmaceutical agents to developed new products essential for human wellbeing. This study generally aimed to determine the secondary metabolites present in the three island endemic plant species in Cagayan namely; Igem dagat (Podocarpus costalis C. Presl), Balingagta (Drypetes falcata Pax & K. Hoffm.) and Babuyan lunas (Lunasia babuyanica Merr.) and to determine their hypoglycemic effect on Sprague Dawley Rats. Ethanolic leave extract of the three endemic plant species were used and tested for its phytochemicals. Complete randomized design (CRD) was used for the hypoglycemic potential with three replications for each species and Alloxan was used to induce hyperglycemia in the rats. The results reveals that P. costalis, D. falcata and L. babuyanica contains alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins and tripertenes. Likewise, L. babuyanica and D. falcata were also positive with saponin and phytosterols. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for the initial glucose level, after Alloxan induced and after treatment of plant extracts did not show significant difference across treatment means. Among the treatments, T3 (L. babuyanica ethanolic leave extract) significantly reduced the Alloxan induced hyperglycemia in Spraue Dawley Rats. Glucose level were reduced with the administration of the other treatments but not significant to reject the null hypothesis. All the plant extracts have hypoglycemic effect however, T3 (L. babuyanica ethanolic leave extract) is more effective.

Introduction

Situated within the Cagayan Valley region, the province is bounded by the Philippine Sea on the east; on the south by Isabela province; on the west by the Cordillera Mountains; and on the north by the Balintang Channel and the Babuyan Group of Islands. About 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the northeastern tip of the province is the island of Palaui; a few kilometers to the west is Fuga Island. The Babuyan Group of Islands, which includes Calayan, Dalupiri, Camiguin, and Babuyan Claro, is about 60 nautical miles (110 km) north of Luzon mainland. This island comprises a unique flora that most of the islanders used them in their traditional healing practices. Three of these plants are endemic in the island town of Calayan. The three island endemic plant species in Cagayan namely; Igem dagat (Podocarpus costalis C. Presl), Balingagta (Drypetes falcata Pax & K. Hoffm.) and Babuyan lunas (Lunasia babuyanica Merr.).

Plants are richest source of bioactive secondary metabolites in a most effective way and with specific selectivity. From the start of human being development men were using different medicinal plants as traditional medicines for their health care. Plants have the ability to produce several valuable classes of chemical constituents which showed interesting biological action.

Plants are recognized in the pharmaceutical industry for their broad structural diversity as well as their wide range of pharmacological activities. The biologically active compounds present in plants are called phytochemicals. These phytochemicals are derived from its various parts of plants such as leaves, flowers, seeds, barks, roots and pulps. These phytochemicals are used as sources of direct medicinal agents. They serve as a raw material base for elaboration of more complex semi-synthetic chemical compounds. Due to these active compounds that are present in plants many diseases have been treated, like hyperglycemia.

Hyperglycemia is associated with high blood glucose level. Severely elevated glucose levels can farther result in a medicinal emergency like diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) or hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic (HHNS) also referred to as hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state). The main symptoms of hyperglycemia are increased thirst and a frequent need to urinate.

Objectives of the Study This study aimed to determine the phytochemical constituents and hypoglycemic effect of the three Cagayan Island endemic plant ethanolic extract on Sprague Dawley Rats (Mus musculus).

Specifically, this study sought to determine the following:

 1. The phytochemical constituents present on the three Cagayan island endemic plant ethanolic extract namely: Igem dagat (Podocarpus costalis C. Presl), Balingagta (Drypetes falcata Pax & K. Hoffm.) and Babuyan lunas (Lunasia babuyanica Merr.);

2. The percent decrease of the blood glucose level of Sprague Dawley Rats after fasting and after administration of the different treatments; and

3. The treatment with the highest lowering effect on the blood glucose level of the experimental rat

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Article source : Three Cagayan Island endemic flora: Its phytochemicals and hypoglycemic effect on alloxan inducedSprague Dawley Rat