Bangladesh Journal of Pharmacology Volume: 13; Number 2; Year 2018 Cite this article as: Dey SK, Middha SK, Usha T, Brahma BK, Goyal AK. Antidiabetic activity of giant grass Bam- busa tulda. Bangladesh J Pharmacol. 2018; 13: 134-36. Antidiabetic activity of giant grass Bam- busa tulda Sir, Though the field of medical science has reached new avenues in recent years, the prevalence of diabetes and its associated complications have raised round the globe. The ethnobotanical lore of India is very rich and use of plant parts for the treatment of various ailments especially diabetes is in vogue since ancient times. Now -a-days scientific evidences also maintains these claims, since they are proven safe, effective and also helps in improving overall health (Usha et al., 2017; Wang et al., 2017) Bamboo has been used over centuries as a potential source of medicine in China and other Asian countries (Goyal and Brahma, 2014). A number of bamboo species like Sasa borealis (Choi et al. 2008; Hyun and Hyeon-Sook, 2009), Pseudosasa japonica (Panee, 2008), Bambusa vulgaris (Senthilkumar et al., 2011), B. balcooa (Goyal et al., 2017) have been reported for antidiabetic effects using animal models and Dendrocalamus hamil- tonii, D. sikkimensis, B. balcooa, B. pallida, B. vulgaris using in vitro model (Middha and Usha, 2012). B. tulda popularly known as Owa Gubwai (Bodo) or Jati Banh (Assamese) (Brahma et al., 2014) is considered to be one of the most useful bamboo species in North east India. In this letter, an attempt was made to evaluate the anti- diabetic activity of the leaf of B. tulda for the first time. LC-MS analysis revealed the presence of various compounds such as p-hydroxybenzoic acid, salicylic acid and many more. Preclinical validation of anti- hyperglycemic activity of B. tulda was carried out using alloxan induced diabetic rats. Two different doses of hydromethanolic extract of B. tulda leaf (50 and 100 mg/kg/mL) were used. The animals treated with B. tulda leaf have shown an increase in body weight as compared to diabetic animals. Maximum increase was noted in standard drug than the animals treated with the extract (Figure 1). Goyal et al. (2017) also indicated the same previously in a different species of bamboo. Weight loss was A Journal of the Bangladesh Pharmacological Society (BDPS) Bangladesh J Pharmacol 2018; 13: 134-136 Journal homepage: www.banglajol.info Abstracted/indexed in Academic Search Complete, Agroforestry Abstracts, Asia Journals Online, Bangladesh Journals Online, Biological Abstracts, BIOSIS Previews, CAB Abstracts, Current Abstracts, Directory of Open Access Journals, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Global Health, Google Scholar, HINARI (WHO), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Open J-gate, Science Citation Index Expanded, SCOPUS and Social Sciences Citation Index ISSN: 1991-0088; DOI: 10.3329/bjp.v13i2.36034 Letter to the Editor This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. You are free to copy, distribute and perform the work. You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor Figure 1: Effect of B. tulda leaf extract on body weight (g/week) in different experimental group. Low dose (50 mg/kg/mL) and high dose (100 mg/kg/mL) were used. Values are in mean ± SE of nine rats per group (n=9). Statistical analysis was done by one- way ANOVA between groups and values were considered significant at p<0.05. Those which are not sharing the same letters are significantly different Normal Diabetic Low dose of High dose of Diabetes plus Diabetes plus control extract extract insulin glibenclamide Bo dy w ei gh t ( g/ w ee k) 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Week 0 Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 caused due to diabetic conditions in animals. Reversal of bodyweight might be because of the reduction in hyperglycemia after supplementing B. tulda leaves. Besides this a reduction pattern in blood glucose level was noticed up to 6th week in experimental animals receiving the high dose (100 mg/kg/mL) (Figure 2). The possible mechanism by which B. tulda brings down the hyperglycemia may be by increasing the pancreatic secretion of insulin from β-cells of Islets of Langerhans. Hence, may be the presence of phytoconstituents in the hydromethanolic extract proves that B. tulda leaf could able to manage diabetic level, though not significantly, has probable anti-diabetic activity. However, detail studies to fully substantiate the antidiabetic activity of B. tulda leaf is currently in progress by our research group. The authors are thankful to the Agriculture Department, Bodoland Territorial Council Secretariat, Bodofa Nwgwr, Kokrajhar for financial assistance and Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College For Women, Bangalore for providing animal facility. Thanks are also due to Mr. Jagajit Brahma, Ms. Bijanta Bala Brahma and Mr. Karma Goyari, laboratory attendant and field attendant during field work. Swarna Kamal Dey1, Sushil Kumar Middha2, Talambedu Usha3, Birendra Kumar Brahma1, Arvind Kumar Goyal1 1Centre for Bamboo Studies, Department of Biotechnology, Bodoland University, Kokrajhar 783370, BTAD, Assam, India; Department of 2Biotechnology and 3Biochemistry, Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College For Women, Bengaluru 560012, India. Corresponding author: email: arvindgoyal210883@gmail.com; Phone: +91 8256002212 References Brahma BK, Basumatary A, Basumatary J, Narzary D, Mwsha- hary N, Jamatia S, Basumatary P, Goyal AK. Inventorying bamboo diversity of Kokrajhar District, BTAD, Assam, India with emphasis on its uses by the Bodos tribes. Int J Fund Appl Sci. 2014; 3: 30-34. Choi YJ, Lim HS, Choi JS, Shin SY, Bae JY, Kang SW, Kang YH. Blockade of chronic high glucose–induced endothelial apoptosis by Sasa borealis bamboo extract. Exp Biol Med. 2008; 233: 580-91. Goyal AK, Brahma BK. Anti-oxidant and nutraceutical poten- tial of bamboo: An overview. Int J Fund Appl Sci. 2014; 3: 2- 10. Goyal AK, Middha SK, Usha T, Sen A. Analysis of toxic, anti- diabetic anti-oxidant potential of Bambusa balcooa Roxb. leaf extracts in alloxan induced diabetic rats. 3Biotech. 2017; 7: 120. Hyun KO, Hyeon-Sook L. Effects of hamburger patties with bamboo leaf (Sasa borealis) extract or sea tangle (Laminaria japonica) powder on plasma glucose and lipid profiles. FASEB J. 2009; Meeting Abstract Supplement 563.17. Middha SK, Usha T. An in vitro new vista to identify hypo- glycemic activity. Int J Fund Appl Sci. 2012; 1: 27-29. Bangladesh J Pharmacol 2018; 13: 134-136 135 Figure 2: Effect of hydromethanolic extract of B. tulda leaf on blood glucose level in different experimental groups. NL, Normal; DC, Diabetic control; DG, Diabetes plus glibenclamide; DI, Diabetes plus insulin; LB, Low dose of B. tulda (50 mg/kg/mL); HB, High dose of B. tulda (100 mg/kg/mL). Values are mean ± SE of nine rats per group (n=9). Statistical analysis was done by one- way ANOVA between groups and values were considered significant at p<0.05. Those which are not sharing the same letters are significantly different 1 2 6 11 15 20 25 34 38 42 days Bl oo d gl uc os e le ve l ( m g/ dL ) 500 400 300 200 100 0 mailto:arvindgoyal210883@gmail.com Panee J. Bamboo extract in the prevention of diabetes and breast cancer. Watson RR (ed). In: Complementary and alternative therapies and the aging population: An evidence -based approach. San Diego, Elsevier, 2008, pp 159-77. Senthilkumar MK, Sivakumar P, Changanakkattil F, Rajesh V, Perumal P. Evaluation of anti-diabetic activity of Bambusa vulgaris leaves in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Int J Pharma Sci Drug Res. 2011; 3: 208-10. Usha T, Middha SK, Narzary D, Brahma BK, Goyal AK. In silico and in vivo based evaluation of traditional antidiabetic herb Hodgsonia heteroclita. Bangladesh J Pharmacol. 2017; 12: 165-66. Wang L, Roy D, Lin SS, Yuan ST, Sun L. Hypoglycemic effect of Camellia chrysantha extract on type 2 diabetic mice model. Bangladesh J Pharmacol. 2017; 12: 359-63. 136 Bangladesh J Pharmacol 2018; 13: 134-136 DatePrinted: This article was downloaded by you on: Apr 25, 2018