Egyptian Physalis peruviana L. as Anti-diabetic and Hypolipidemic Natural Herb: A Promising Treatment of Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats

Diabetes mellitus and associated complications continue to be a major health concern. The estimated number of diabetic patients is increasing worldwide despite new medicine discoveries. It is likely to increase to over 300 million by the year 2025. According to IDF diabetes Atlas 2015, an adult with diabetes in Egypt reaches 8.1 million. Due to the side effects of synthetic anti-diabetic drugs, the search for safe and effective anti-diabetic agents continues to be an important area of research. Physalis peruviana Linn. (Family Solanaceae) commonly called “Harankash” in Egypt is a small tropical annual herb. It is used in ethnomedicine for treating malaria, asthma and hepatitis. We aimed to investigate possible anti-diabetic, hypo-lipidaemic and antioxidant effects of Physalis peruviana on experimentally alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus. Thirty-five rats were divided into 5 groups [(7 rats/group]: Normal &6 diabetics groups with different treatments; treatments: Non, glibenclamide, dried physalis, physalis p. ethanolic extract). The experiment lasted for 6 weeks. Fasting blood serum was analysed for blood glucose, cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C and triacylglycerol levels. Also HbA1c and MDA were analyzed. Dried physalis powder or its ethanolic extract was significantly effective in lowering serum glucose, cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels in the dried physalis powder or its ethanolic extract -treated diabetic rats compared with the control diabetic rats which exhibit hyperglycaemia accompanied with weight loss. Also increase HDL-C level, returning to near normal level. The present results indicate that dried physalis powder or its ethanolic extract possesses hypoglycemia, hypocholesterolemic and hypolipidaemic potential.