Abstract:
Herbal antidiabetic agents have been popular among general population due to their historical usage
along with the exceptional therapeutic efficacy. The present study was aimed to determine the effect
of a newly developed herbal capsule of C. grandis, which consists of freeze dried powder of the hot
water extract of C. grandis leaves, on lipid profile in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes
mellitus (T2DM). Three months long, placebo controlled, double blind, randomized clinical trial was
conducted involving 147 individuals with newly diagnosed T2DM. Patients with known renal, liver,
cardiac, respiratory, thyroid, psychiatric and any other chronic or acute diseases, and pregnant women
were excluded. Individuals are using antilipidaemic drugs were also excluded. Selected individuals
were randomly allocated into two groups of test and control. The test group received newly developed
herbal capsule of C. grandis (500 mg) and the control group received placebo capsule (500 mg)
once daily for three months. Serum lipid profile consisting of total cholesterol (TC), high density
lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG) and
very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) was estimated at the base line (week=0) and at
the end of intervention (week=12). Independent sample t-test was used to compare the two groups.
A percentage reductions of TC, LDL-C, TG and VLDL-C were 2.12%, 3.51%, 27.36% and 27.36%
respectively and increment of HDL-C (1.92%) was observed in herbal capsule treated group. The
results of the t- test revealed that TG (p=0.003) and VLDL-C (p=0.003) are significantly decreased
in the herbal capsule treated group. There were no statistically significant changes (p>0.05) in TC,
HDL-C and LDL-C between two groups. In conclusion, 500 mg of herbal capsule of C. grandis is
beneficial in reducing elevated TG and VLDL-C in lipid profile of patients with newly diagnosed
T2DM.
