Antidiabetic effect of Cordia morelosana, chemical and pharmacological studies

Abstract Ethnopharmacological importance Cordia morelosana Standley (Boraginaceae) is commonly used in folk medicine for the treatment of diarrhoea, kidney inflammation, diabetes, lung pain, bronchitis, asthma, hoarseness, cough and fever. Aim Current work was conducted to develop a bio-guided isolation of antidiabetic compounds from ethanolic extract of Cordia morelosana (EECm). Material and methods The phytochemical bio-guided study was conducted by successive chromatographic techniques, and isolated compounds were characterized by 1D and 2D-NMR experiments. The in vivo antihyperglycemic and antidiabetic activities of EECm (100 mg/kg), and methyl rosmarinate (MR, 50 mg/kg) were determined on normoglycemic and diabetic murine models. Additionally, the in vitro activity was conducted to determine α-glucosidase inhibitory effect, and PPARs expression on 3T3-L1 cells by RT-PCR. Acute and sub-chronic toxicological studies for EECm were conducted on rats, following the OECD guidelines (No. 420 and 407). Results EECm promotes significant α-glucosidase inhibition (55.6%) at 1 mg/kg respect to the control. Also, EECm (100 mg/kg) showed significant antihyperglycemic effect on oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and in non-insulin dependent type 2 diabetes (NIDD) model, had antidiabetic activity (p   2000 mg/kg and sub-chronic toxicological study reveals no toxic signs in animals tested compared to control. Conclusion EECm showed significant antihyperglycemic and antidiabetic actions being RA and MR the main antidiabetic metabolites.