Effect of Salvia officinalis L. leaves on serum glucose and insulin in healthy and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

The leaves of sage (Salvia officinalis L., Lamiaceae) are reported to have a wide range of biological activities, such as anti-bacterial, fungistatic, virustatic, astringent, eupeptic and anti-hydrotic effects. To determine the hypoglycaemic effect of sage leaves, we investigated the effects of essential oil and methanolic effect of the plant on healthy and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The animals were made diabetic using by streptozotocin (70 mg/kg, i.p.). The methanolic extract (100, 250, 400 and 500 mg/kg) and essential oil (0.042, 0.125, 0.2 and 0.4 ml/kg) were injected intraperitoneally. The control groups were administered water and sunflower oil as vehicles of methanolic extract and essential oil, respectively. Blood samples were obtained from retro-orbital sinus before administration and 1, 3 and 5 h after administrations. The serum glucose was measured by the enzymatic method of glucose oxidase. The results showed that the essential oil of sage did not change serum glucose, while the plant extract significantly decreased serum glucose in diabetic rats in 3 h without effect on insulin releasing from the pancreas but not in healthy rats. Also, the LD(50) of the methanolic extract is measured (4000 mg/kg, i.p.). The present data indicate that sage extract has hypoglycaemic effect on diabetic animals and the plant should be considered in future therapeutic researches. (C) 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.