Diabetes Obes Metab. 2001 Dec; 3(6): 452-6.

Blood glucose- and triglyceride-lowering effect of trans-dehydrocrotonin, a diterpene from Croton cajucara Benth., in rats.

Silva RM, Santos FA, Rao VS, Maciel MA, Pinto AC.

Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of CearÃ¡, Fortaleza, Brazil.

AIM: The objective of this study was to assess in rats the antidiabetic effects (i.e. reduction of hyperglycaemia and hypertriglyceridaemia) of trans-dehydrocrotonin (t-DCTN), a bioactive diterpene isolated from the popular medicinal plant Croton cajucara. METHODS: Hyperglycaemia was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) and hypertriglyceridaemia by oral administration of ethanol in rats. The blood glucose levels were measured by the glucose oxidase method using commercially available enzyme kits. RESULTS: Treating rats with t-DCTN (50 mg/kg) significantly reduced STZ-induced increases in blood glucose levels as well as ethanol-induced increases in blood triglycerides. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that t-DCTN has an antidiabetic potential that warrants further research on its mechanism and clinical significance.