Pharmacological Research Approach for Aconitum ferox Roots

The Chinese medical system recommends the traditional Chinese plant Aconitum ferox (A. ferox) as an anti-diabetic. The tubers and roots of A. ferox (Family: Ranunculaceae) are frequently used in Chinese medicine to treat a variety of conditions, including collapse, syncope, rheumatic fever, painful joints, gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, diabetes, oedema, bronchial asthma, various tumours, and some endocrine issues. The study used Wistar rats of either sex that weighed between 150 and 200 grams. Alloxan caused diabetes. After a single intraperitoneal injection of alloxan (120 mg/kg) in Wistar rats, diabetes was established 48 hours later. Glimepiride (175 mg/kg, p.o.) and A. ferox extract (10 and 20 mg/kg) were taken orally every day for 15 days. Body weight was measured on the fifteenth day, and blood was drawn to measure biochemical markers such as blood glucose, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoproteins (HDL), and low-density lipoproteins (LDL). These results suggest that the root extract of A. ferox possesses an antidiabetic effect on alloxan-induced diabetic rats and this justifies its use in traditional medicine and can be exploited in the management.