The present study was aimed to evaluate the antihyperlipidemic effect of
aqueous extract of stem of Tinospora cordifolia in streptozotocin induced
diabetic and diet induced hyperlipidemic rats. Diabetes mellitus was induced
in male albino Wistar rats by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (45
mg/kg b.w.). Hyperlipidemia was induced in diabetic rats by feeding 0.5%
cholesterol and 0.1% cholic acid on diet basis in arachis oil (10 ml/kg b.wt)
orally throughout the experimental period and simultaneously, the
treatment groups received T. cordifolia (100 and 200 mg/kg b.w.) orally for
14 days. Glibenclamide (600 µg/kg b.w) was used as a standard antidiabetic
drug and atorvastatin (1.2 mg/kg b.w.) was used as a standard
antihyperlipidemic drug. Serum glucose levels were determined at weekly
intervals and serum cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, creatine kinase and free
fatty acids were analyzed at the end of the experiment. Aqueous extract of T.
cordifolia at 200 mg/kg b.w. dose decreased serum glucose, cholesterol,
triglycerides, creatine kinase, and free fatty acids to normal level when
compared to that of standard drug. Thus the study revealed that the aqueous
extract of T. cordifolia was found to have potential effective in controlling the
diabetes associated hyperlipidemic conditions effectively.