Estudio farmacológico e histológico en ratas diabetizadas tratadas con Asclepias glaucescens HBK

Asclepias glaucescens, Asclepidaceae plant is used as hypoglycemic agent in the State of Veracruz, Mexico. Gymnema sylvestre, of the same family, presents the same therapeutic effect in patients with type II diabetes, and it was reported that it regenerates the β cells of the pancreatic islets of Langerhans in diabetic rats. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to accomplish the phytochemical analysis of Asclepias glaucescens collected from Malinalco, State of Mexico and to determine its possible hypoglycemic activity in alloxan diabetic Wistar rats. The phytochemical analysis demonstrated the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, tannins and sugars. The plant did not offset the hyperglycemia present in rats, caused by the aloxana, and there was not any regeneration of the β cells (insulin producers) in the Langerhans islets. On the other hand the citotoxic effects of its metabolites were observed in heart and lungs, so we do not recommend the oral use of ethanolic extract of Asclepias glaucescens for therapeutic treatments.