Penchom Peungvicha (1,2), Suwan S. Thirawarapan (1) and Hiroshi Watanabe (2,*)
(1) Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University,
Bangkok 10400, Thailand
(2) Department of Pharmacology, Research Institute for Wakan-Yaku, Toyama
Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
(*) To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract: We studied the hypoglycemic effect of 4-hydroxybenzoic
acid, a constituent of the root of Pandanus odorus Ridl. (Pandanaceae, Thai
name: Toei-hom), in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Oral administration of
4-hydroxybenzoic acid caused a decrease in plasma glucose levels dose-dependently
in the diabetic rat. The constituent did not affect serum insulin level
and liver glycogen content in the diabetic model, but increased glucose
consumption in normal and diabetic rat diaphragms. These results suggest
that 4-hydroxybenzoic acid produces a hypoglycemic effect mediated by an
increase in the peripheral glucose consumption.
Keywords: Pandanus odorus, Hypoglycemic effect, 4-Hydroxybenzoic acid