Antioxidant action of Tinospora cordifolia root extract in alloxan diabetic rats.

Tinospora cordifolia is widely used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Oral administration of 2.5 g and 5.0 g/kg body weight of the aqueous extract of the roots for 6 weeks resulted in a significant reduction in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and an increase in reduced glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in alloxan diabetic rats. The effect of Tinospora cordifolia root extract (TCREt) was most prominently seen in the case of rats given 5.0 g/kg body weight. The effect of TCREt was more effective than glibenclamide. Thus our study shows that TCREt exhibits antioxidant action in alloxan diabetes. Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.