Antidiabetic activity of stem bark of Bauhinia variegata in alloxan-induced hyperglycemic rats

Diabetes mellitus, a chronic metabolic disorder of insulin deficiency or ineffectiveness, constitutes a global public health burden and predictions estimate that India, China, and United States will have the largest number of diabetic people by the year 2030. The search for plant-based products for control of diabetes mellitus continues, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has also long back recommended herbal treatment of diabetes mellitus. Bauhinia variegata Linn (Family: Fabaceae), vernacularly called Kachnara, is an herbaceous medicinal plant, found throughout India. The leaves of the many Bauhinia species are used in antidiabetic treatments by many populations of the world. In India, stem bark is used as an antidiabetic in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. In a recent in-vitro study, the ethanolic extract of B. variegata and its major constituent, roseoside, have demonstrated enhanced insulin release from the beta-cell lines INS-1. In view of these facts, this work studied the influence of the stem bark of B. variegata on alloxan-induced hyperglycemia in rats.