Complementary and Comparative Study on Hypoglycemic and Antihyperglycemic Activity of Various Extracts of Eugenia jambolana Seed, Momordica charantia Fruits, Gymnema sylvestre, and Trigonella foenum graecum Seeds in Rats Mukesh Yadav & Amita Lavania & Radha Tomar & G. B. K. S. Prasad & Shalini Jain & Hariom Yadav Received: 12 April 2009 / Accepted: 28 September 2009 / Published online: 11 November 2009 # Humana Press 2009 Abstract In present study, we investigated hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic potential of five extracts (water, ethanol, methanol, hexane, and chloroform) of four plants (i.e., seeds of Eugenia jambolana, fruits of Momordica charantia, leaves of Gymnema sylvestre, and seeds of Trigonella foenum graecum) alone and/or in combination with glimepiride in rats. Ethanol extract of E. jambolana, water extract of M. charantia, ethanol extract of G. sylvestre, and water extract of T. graecum exhibited highest hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic activity (most active) in rats among all the extracts, while hexane extracts exhibited least activities. Most active extracts were further studied to dose-dependent (200, 100, and 50 mg/kg body weight (bw)) hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic effects alone and in combination with glimepiride (20, 10, and 5 mg/kg bw). The combination of most active extracts (200 mg/kg bw) and lower dose of glimepiride (5 mg/kg bw) showed safer and potent hypoglycemic as well as antihyperglycemic activities without creating severe hypoglycemia in normal rats, while higher doses (200 mg/kg bw of most active extracts, and 10 and 20 mg/kg bw of glimepiride) were generated lethal hypoglycemia in normal rats. From this study, it may be Appl Biochem Biotechnol (2010) 160:2388–2400 DOI 10.1007/s12010-009-8799-1 M. Yadav : A. Lavania : R. Tomar School of Studies in Chemistry, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, M.P. 474011, India G. B. K. S. Prasad School of Studies in Biochemistry, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, M.P. 474011, India S. Jain Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA H. Yadav Clinical Research Center, Diabetes Branch, National Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA M. Yadav (*) College of Advanced Studies, Datia, Madhya Pradesh, India e-mail: mukeshyadav2009@gmail.com