@article{oai:niigata-u.repo.nii.ac.jp:00006391, author = {Bwititi, Phillip and Musabayane, Cephas T.}, issue = {4}, journal = {Acta medica et biologica, Acta medica et biologica}, month = {Dec}, note = {The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of various plant extracts of the genus used elsewhere on plasma glucose and serum insulin concentrations in normal and diabetic rats. Extracts of Solanum incarnum ripe fruit, Solanum incarnum roots, Opuntia megacantha leaves, Aloe chabaudii leaves, Morus alba leaves, Ficus thoningii bark, Allium sativum bulb and Tapinathus nyasicus leaves were given orally over a 5 week period at a dose of 20 mg/l00 g body weight to normal rats and rats made diabetic by streptozotocin (STZ). All the plants except S. incarnum roots and T. nyasicus leaves lowered plasma glucose concentrations. M. alba leaves, A. sativum bulb and F. thoningii bark had the greatest effect in both normal and diabetic rats, lowering glucose by between 17-31% in normal rats and 17-21% in diabetic rats in comparison with their respective controls. The plant extracts did not have any significant effects on plasma insulin levels in either normal or diabetic rats. The mechanisms for the hypoglycaemic effects observed are not clear but appear to involve mechanisms the are not insulinometric.}, pages = {167--169}, title = {The Effects of Plant Extracts on Plasma Glucose Levels in Rats}, volume = {45}, year = {1997} }