Journal of Ethnopharmacology 69 (2000) 17 – 20

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The hypoglycemic activity of Zygophyllum gaetulum extracts

in alloxan-induced hyperglycemic rats
J.T. Jaouhari a, H.B. Lazrek b,*, M. Jana b
a
Department of Biology, Laboratory of Animal Physiology, High School of Education, Marrakesh, Morocco
b
Department of Biology, Laboratory of Phytochemistry, Uni6ersity of Caddy Ayyad, Marrakesh, Morocco

Received 1 August 1998; received in revised form 11 April 1999; accepted 19 April 1999

Abstract

The aqueous infusion of the aerial parts of Zygophyllum gaetulum Emb. and Maire was tested orally (1 g/kg body
weight) for hypoglycemic activity in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The infusion was partitioned between water and
butanol to yield a butanol soluble fraction (B), and an aqueous fraction (W) which on reduction in volume gave a
precipitate (WP) and supernatant (WS). Fractions (B) and (WP) caused significant reduction in blood glucose
concentration, while the ingestion of (WS) produced no significant reduction in blood glucose level. © 2000 Elsevier
Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Zygophyllum gaetulum; Hypoglycemic activity; Alloxan-induced diabetic rat

1. Introduction south of Morocco has been evaluated (Lazrek et

Diabetes mellitus is a disease that affects more
than 100 million people and may attain about five
times more subjects in the next 10 years (Lesabre,
1981; WHO/Acadia, 1992). Its control involves
exercise, diet and chemotherapy. However, the
pharmaceutical drugs at the authors’ disposal are
either too expensive or have undesirable side ef-
fects and contraindications (Linquette, 1973;
Berger, 1985; Huupponen, 1987). In the search for
new compounds, and within the exploration of
natural resources, the hypoglycemic effect of
plants which are reputed as antidiabetics in the
* Corresponding author.
al., 1994).
In the aim of identifying new potent antidia-
betic compounds of plant origin, the aerial parts
of Zygophyllum gaetulum have been investigated
using a bioassay-guided isolation protocol.
2. Experimental
2.1. Plant material
Fresh aerial parts of Zygophyllum gaetulum
(Zygophyllaceae) were collected in July from Za-
gora (South of Morocco). The plant material was
authenticated by Dr Ouhammou (Laboratory of
Plant Ecology). A voucher specimen (MARK

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PII: S 0 3 7 8 - 8 7 4 1 ( 9 9 ) 0 0 0 6 4 - 1
18 J.T. Jaouhari et al. / Journal of Ethnopharmacology 69 (2000) 17–20
1749) was deposited at the herbarium of the Fac-
ulty of Sciences Semlalia Marrakesh. The plant
was dried, homogenized, and stored in glass con-
tainers until use.
2.2. Preparation of extract
The powdered aerial part (500 g) was infused
three times in 1 l of distilled water for 30 min at
room temperature. The infusion was filtered and
water was removed under vacuum at temperature
below 45°C. A crude residue (A: 220.65 g) was
obtained giving a yield of 44.13%.
One hundred g of the crude extract was parti-
tioned between water and n-butanol. The butanol
soluble fraction was evaporated under vacuum
and yielded: 10.38% (B). The aqueous fraction
reduced to 50% gave a precipitate (WP) and su-
pernatant (WS). The latter was filtered and the
filtrate was evaporated to dryness at temperature
below 45°C. A total of 49.44 g (21.82%) of crude
extract was obtained from the supernatant and
the precipitate represented a yield of 7.38% with
respect to the original plant material.
2.3. Alloxan-induced hyperglycemia in rats
Male Wistar albino rats (200 – 250 g) were
housed in standard conditions and fed with com-
mercial diet and water ad libitum. Hyperglycemia
was induced by the intraperitoneal injection of
alloxan monohydrate (120 mg/kg) dissolved in
distilled water (5%) for 3 consecutive days. Dia-
betes was confirmed 3 days after the last alloxan
dose administration by determining the blood glu-
cose concentration (day 6). Only animals with
blood glucose levels over than 250 mg/dl were
used.
2.4. In6estigation of the hypoglycemic effect of
the plant extract
Alloxan-induced diabetic rats used for the ex-
periments were deprived of food for 18 h, blood
samples were taken from tail, for glucose determi-
nation (G0), and were orally treated with different
extracts (1 g/10 ml per kg body weight) dissolved
in normal saline. Control animals received normal
saline (10 ml/kg body weight). The blood glucose
levels of the experimental animals were deter-
mined at 3 h intervals for 9 h.
2.5. Determination of blood glucose concentration
Blood samples were collected in tubes. Blood
glucose levels were determined using an auto-
mated glucose oxidase method (Technicon RA
1000).
2.6. Statistical analysis
Data are expressed as means9 standard error
(S.E.). Differences between groups were consid-
ered to be significant at PB 0.05 using unpaired
Student’s ‘t’ test.
3. Results
Oral treatment with a high dose of 1 g/kg of
aqueous extract to alloxan-induced diabetic rats
caused a continuous marked reduction of blood
glucose levels particularly 6–9 h after treatment
(n= 6; PB 0.001) (− 52.8296.54; − 69.809
3.86, respectively). In animals treated with bu-
tanol extract in a similar manner as above, the
blood glucose level fell rapidly from 333947
mg/dl at fasting to 2059 34 mg/dl at 3 h and to
1829 34 mg/dl at 6 h (Fig. 1). Blood glucose level
at both 3 and 6 h showed a significant difference
from the initial level (−39.019 2.77; PB 0.02
and − 46.3394.04; PB 0.001, respectively).
Treatment with Zygophyllum gaetulum precipi-
tate lowered significantly blood glucose level 6 h
after treatment (− 30.919 2.51; PB 0.05). How-
ever, treatment with supernatant had no signifi-
cant effect on glucose values at any time of the
measurement.
4. Discussion and conclusion
Zygophyllum gaetulum is a plant widely used in
Moroccan folk medicine for the treatment of dia-
betes mellitus and against stomach pains.
 J.T. Jaouhari et al. / Journal of Ethnopharmacology 69 (2000) 17–20 19

Fig. 1. Effect of the aqueous extract (EA), butanol extract (B), precipitate (WP) and supernatant (WS) of Zygophyllum gaetulum (1
g/kg body weight) on blood glucose levels in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Significantly different from control (n = 7), * P B0.05;
** P B0.02; *** P B0.001.

It was found (Lazrek et al., 1994) in NIDDM
volunteers patients that the aqueous extract of
Zygophyllum gaetulum was more effective than
glucophage retard (biguanide) and as effective as
glipizide (sulphonylurea). Skim et al. (1998) re-
ported that the oral or intraperitoneal adminis-
tration of Zygophyllum gaetulum to normal or
alloxan induced-diabetic rats decreased signifi-
cantly the blood glucose level and increased the
plasma insulin level. Recently, it has been
shown (Jaouhari et al., 1998) in NIDDM that
the oral ingestion of Zygophyllum gaetulum infu-
sion for 3weeks, had no side effects and a high
LD50.
It is interesting to notice that the effect dif-
fered between the butanol fraction (B) and wa-
ter fraction precipitate (WP) of Zygophyllum
gaetulum in rat with alloxan-induced diabetes
mellitus, the fraction (B) showed an hypo-
glycemic action while the Zygophyllum gaetulum
precipitate was weaker.
In conclusion, further studies are needed to
identify the active principle(s) responsible for the
hypoglycemic effect and evaluate its mechanism
of action.
Acknowledgements
The authors are pleased to acknowledge the
International Foundation for Science for finan-
cial support of this study, Professor A. Moulay,
Head of Military hospital of Marrakesh for
their help in the search and keen interest and
members of biochemistry laboratory, for techni-
cal assistance, Dr A. Ouhammou Laboratory of
plant Ecology, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia
Marrakesh, for authenticating the plant mate-
rial, and Dr M. Larhsini for his helpful com-
ments.
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