Antihyperglycemic activity of Tarralin™, an ethanolic extract of Artemisia dracunculus L.

The studies reported here were undertaken to examine the antihyperglycemic activity of an ethanolic extract of Artemisia dracunculus L., called Tarralin™ in diabetic and non-diabetic animals. In genetically diabetic KK-A^γ mice, Tarralin™ treatment by gavage (500 mg/kg body wt./day for 7 days) lowered elevated blood glucose levels by 24% from 479±25 to 352±16 mg/dl relative to control animals. In comparison, treatment with the known antidiabetic drugs, troglitazone (30 mg/kg body wt./day) and metformin (300 mg/kg body wt./day), decreased blood glucose concentrations by 28% and 41%, respectively. Blood insulin concentrations were reduced in the KK-A^γ mice by 33% with Tarralin™, 48% with troglitazone and 52% with metformin. In (STZ)-induced diabetic mice, Tarralin™ treatment, (500 mg/kg body wt./day for 7 days), also significantly lowered blood glucose concentrations, by 20%, from 429±41 to 376±58 mg/dl relative to control. As a possible mechanism, Tarralin™ was shown to significantly decrease phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) mRNA expression by 28% in STZ-induced diabetic rats. In non-diabetic animals, treatment with Tarralin™ did not significantly alter PEPCK expression, blood glucose or insulin concentrations. The extract was also shown to increase the binding of glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) to its receptor in vitro. These results indicate that Tarralin™ has antihyperglycemic activity and a potential role in the management of diabetic states.