Potential use of Balanophora latisepala (V. Tiegh.) Lec. extract for the treatment of diabetes.

Introduction: Balanophora latisepala (BL) is a chlorophyll-free and obligate parasitic plant found across mountainous areas of An Giang, Vietnam. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of extracts from BL, herbs mentioned in many traditional medicines in the treatment of diabetes, on laboratory mice.

Materials and methods: The effects of BL aqueous, methanol, and ethanol extracts on the blood glucose levels, hematological indices, liver enzymes, and pancreatic tissue structure of normal, glucose-tolerant mice, and diabetic mice treated with streptozotocin (STZ) were assessed. Mice were orally administered extracts at a concentration of 500 mg/kg.

Results and discussion: The aqueous and ethanol extracts did not affect the blood glucose levels of healthy and glucose-tolerant mice (P > 0.05). The methanol extract reduced the blood glucose of healthy mice (P < 0.05) but did not affect the blood glucose of glucose-tolerant mice 3 h after administration (P > 0.05). When taking the methanol and ethanol extracts, the diabetic mice experienced a 45.67% and a 40.33% decrease in blood glucose levels after 21 days of research, respectively. Aqueous extract and gliclazide (10 mg/kg) showed no effect on reducing blood glucose levels in diabetic mice over the 21 days of the study. Both methanol and ethanol extracts were effective in regulating liver enzyme levels in diabetic mice. In both untreated and treated diabetic mice, pancreatic islet structures were degraded with the appearance of gaps resulting from β-cell degeneration.

Conclusion: This implies that ethanol extracts have potential applications in regulating blood glucose levels.