Vol 13, Issue 2, 2020 Online - 2455-3891 Print - 0974-2441 PRELIMINARY PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING, CHARACTERIZATION, AND ANTIDIABETIC ACTIVITY OF LEAF EXTRACT OF CANNA INDICA L. IN STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED DIABETIC MODEL PRASHANT KUMAR YADAV*, SISODIA SS Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Bhupal Nobles University, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. Email: prashant.8266@gmail.com Received: 17 November 2019, Revised and Accepted: 11 December 2019 ABSTRACT Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the antidiabetic effects of the leaf extract of Canna indica L. in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic model. The present investigation indicated that the leaf of C. indica L. possessed significant antihyperglycemic potential which may prove the claimed use of the plant in amelioration of diabetes. Methods: Male Swiss albino mice fasted for 12–14 h and weights were recorded prior to the induction of diabetes. Experimental diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of 150 mg/kg of STZ, freshly dissolved in 0.1 M citrate buffer (pH=4.5). Then, the solution was immediately administered intraperitoneally to each mouse. Thirty minutes after the injection, the mice were allowed free access to food and water. After 6 h STZ injection, mice were given a 5% dextrose solution for the next 24 h. The development of diabetes was confirmed after 3 days of the STZ injection and mice with fasting blood glucose level (BGL) >200 mg/dl were considered as diabetic and were selected for the experiments. After successfully developing the diabetes animals were divided into six groups and each group contains six mice. Group I: Normal control mice administered vehicle only; Group II: Diabetic control mice administered vehicle only; Group III: Tested mice administered glibenclamide 5 mg/kg; and Group IV–VI: Tested mice administered C. indica L. at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, respectively. All groups received treatments once daily for 14 days. The fasting BGL and body weight were determined at 0, 7 th , and 14 th days. Results: The effect of C. indica L. on BGL having significant (p<0.05 and p<0.001) reduction in BGL starting 1 h when compared to the negative control. Administration of glucose (2 g/kg) to the mice produced significant (p<0.001) increase in BGL 30 min following 1 h after glucose loading, confirming the induction of hyperglycemia. The extract with three doses (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) showed a significant reduction in BGL. The phytochemical screening of the leaves extract was done for the presence of alkaloid, saponin, terpene, carbohydrate, steroid, protein, cholesterol, flavonoids. Amino acid was absent in C. indica L. leaves. Conclusion: It is concluded from this study that the alcohol extracts of C. indica L. leaves possess significant antihyperglycemic effects. Keywords: Canna indica L., Physicochemical, Phytochemical, Antihyperglycemic. INTRODUCTION Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder manifested in the form of hyperglycemia as a consequence of defect in insulin secretion and/or insulin action along with an imbalance in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. The incidence of DM has reached epidemic proportions predominantly due to changes in lifestyle and increase in the prevalence of obesity, cystic fibrosis, and mitochondrial defects [1]. Maintenance of normal blood glucose levels (BGLs) is essential in diabetes since a decrease in BGLs (hypoglycemia) or increase in BGLs (hyperglycemia) is unwanted phenomenon. Hence, monitoring of antidiabetic drug therapy in the presence of other drugs is very much needed to maintain the safety [2]. There is an explosive boost in diabetic patients for the last two decades and is expected to be the seventh major cause of death by 2030 [3]. Further, it occupies the third position when its fatal complications are considered [4]. DM is characterized by several complications, basically chronic hyperglycemia with altered metabolism of carbohydrate, fat, and protein, which results from fault insulin secretion, inefficient insulin action, or both [5]. Such deficiency results in damage of many-body systems, in particular, the blood vessels and nerves. Diabetes has negative impact on modern lifestyle with direct consequence of increased overweight and sedentary population [6]. The epidemiological status of diabetes has stimulated the researchers for new innovations and targets for the eradication of this incurable disease. Search for safer and effective hypoglycemic agents is a continuous challenge in managing diabetes [7]. Canna (or canna lily, although not a true lily) is a genus of nineteen species of flowering plants. The closest living relations to cannas are the other plant families of the order Zingiberaceae (gingers), Musaceae (bananas), Marantaceae, Heliconiaceae, Strelitziaceae, etc. [8]. Canna is the only genus in the family Cannaceae. Such a family has almost universally been recognized by taxonomists [9]. Canna indica Linn. is commonly known as Indian shot or Canna lily. It is widely used for removal of organic pollutants, nitrogen, phosphorous, and heavy metals [10]. Root decoction is used for the treatment of fever, dropsy, and dyspepsia [11]. Seed juice is used to relieve earaches. The leaves of C. indica showed antimicrobial activity and analgesic activity, and the rhizomes showed a good anthelmintic activity [12,13]. In this study, we investigated the effect of leaf extract of C. indica L. on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats during single and repeated administrations to observe acute and chronic effects of the extract on BGLs on diabetic mice. METHODS Sample collection Fresh leaf of C. indica was collected from the vicinity of Varanasi district in Uttar Pradesh, India during the month of January 2018 and air dried. © 2020 The Authors. Published by Innovare Academic Sciences Pvt Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/4. 0/) DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22159/ajpcr.2020.v13i2.36396 Research Article