Effect of Picralina nitida on the glycemia and intestinal absorption of glucose in rat

Oral administration of the aqueous fruit extract of Picralina nitida (AEPn) at the respective doses of 300, 400 and 500 mg/kg BW induces hypoglycemia on the blood glucose levels of normoglycemic rats. AEPn at dose of 300 mg/kg BW did not result in a significant (ns: P>0.05) decrease in blood glucose levels in treated rats (less of 5.49%). AEPn at doses of 400 and 500 mg/kg BW produced significant decreases in blood glucose levels in treated rats. These hypoglycemia increases with time. Thus AEPn at the dose of 400 mg /kg BW lowered blood glucose significantly decrease of 13.18% (**P<0.01). And dose of 500 mg/kg BW results in a greater decrease, of 21.97% (**P<0.01). Administration by gavage of anhydrous glucose 4 g/kg BW to rats causes hyperglycemia. This induced hyperglycemia is significantly reduced (**P<0.01) by AEPn in pretreated and post-treated rats. The AEPn reduction at 500 mg/kg BW of the glucose-induced hyperglycemia is identical to that of glibenclamide at 10-2 mg/kg BW (**P<0.01). Thus, like glibenclamide, AEPn has antihyperglycemic effects. The hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic effects of AEPn, observed in vivo, can be attributed to the presence in this extract of polyphenols, flavonoids and alkaloids that inhibit the intestinal glucose absorption. In addition, AEPn (400 and 500 mg/kg BW) reduced, in dose-dependent manner, the intestinal glucose uptake in rats. The effects of AEPn at 500 mg/kg BW are similar to those with phlorizin (0.2 mg/mL), which also significantly reduces intestinal glucose absorption. These results suggest that the aqueous fruit extract of Picralina nitida could contain molecules capable of inhibiting SGLT1, just like the reference substance (phlorizin).