Journal of Ethnopharmacology 70 (2000) 309 – 314 Short communication Effect of Punica granatum Linn. (flowers) on blood glucose level in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats M.A. Jafri a, *, M. Aslam a , Kalim Javed a , Surender Singh b a Department of Ilmul Adia, Faculty of Medicine (Unani ), Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi -110 062, India b Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi, India Received 28 April 1999; received in revised form 30 June 1999; accepted 27 September 1999 Abstract ‘Gulnar farsi’, male abortive flowers of Punica granatum L., are used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in Unani medicine. Oral administration of its aqueous-ethanolic (50%, v/v) extract led to significant blood glucose lowering effect in normal, glucose-fed hyperglycaemic and alloxan-induced diabetic rats. This effect of the extract was maximum at 400 mg/kg, b.w. © 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Alloxan; Antihyperglycaemic; Diabetes; ‘Gulnar’; Hypoglycaemic; Punica granatum L. www.elsevier.com/locate/jethpharm 1. Introduction Punica granatum Linn. (Punicaceae) is a shrub or small tree and considered to be a native of Iran and Afghanistan. It is also found growing wild in the warm valleys and outer hills of the Himalayas, and is cultivated throughout India (Satyavati et al., 1978). ‘Gulnar’ (flower of P. granatum L.) has been known for a long time in Unani literature as an astringent, haemostatic, and as a remedy for diabetes (Jurjani, 1878; Majoosi, 1889). The root bark as well as the stem bark of the plant is astringent and also used as anthelmintic specifi- cally against tapeworms. The rind is valued as an astringent in diarrhoea and dysentery. The juice of the leaves and young fruits and the decoction of the bark are used in dysentery. The powdered flower buds are useful in bronchitis. The seeds are considered to be stomachic and the pulp cardiac and stomachic. The green leaves are made into a paste and applied in conjunctivitis (Anonymous, 1969; Satyavati et al., 1978). The biological activities, viz. antibacterial (Cho- pra et al., 1960; Trivedi and Kazmi, 1979), anti- fungal (Janardhanan et al., 1963; Charya et al., 1979), anthelmintic (Prakash et al., 1980; Singhal, 1983) and antifertility (Dhawan and Saxena, 1958; Gujral et al., 1960), of the various extracts of different parts of this plant have also been re- ported. The extracts of root of P. granatum (Car- * Corresponding author. 0378-8741/00/$ - see front matter © 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. PII:S0378-8741(99)00170-1