Lectins from seeds of Abrus precatorius:Evaluation of Antidiabetic and Antihyperlipidemic Potential in Diabetic Rats

There is an increasing patient demand to use natural products for diabetes treatment due to the side effects associated with the use of insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents. This work highlights the potential of Abrus precatorius seeds for their antidiabetic activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic and in vivo toxicity of the lectins purified from the seeds of Abrus precatorius (Fabaceae), locally known as Gunja. The present work involves purification of lectins from the seeds of A. precatorius (ABA), followed by characterization. The in vivo acute toxicity study of ABA was carried out as per the OECD 425 guidelines. The antidiabetic potential was evaluated in alloxan monohydrate (AXN) induced diabetic rats at two dose levels (150 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg) body weight, daily for 14 days. Various parameters such as body weight, food consumption, serum glucose levels, serum cholesterol levels and liver glycogen levels were determined post ABA treatment. Acute toxicity study revealed ABA to be non-toxic even at a high dose of 2000 mg/kg body weight (bw). Increased body weight, food consumption and decreased serum glucose levels were observed in diabetic rats treated with the ABA compared to the diabetic control rats. Diabetic rats treated with the ABA showed altered lipid profiles and liver glycogen levels which were found to be reversed to near normal levels than the diabetic control rats. These findings highlight the efficacy of A. precatorius seed lectins as potential antidiabetic and anti hyperlipidemic agent that can be used as adjunct therapy for diabetes treatment.