Evaluation of the Hypoglycemic Effect of “VNC Herbal” Capsules in Experimental Animals

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the hypoglycemic effect of “VNC herbal” capsules (MNC), whose principal constituent is the dry extract of Commelina diffusa Burm.f. in experimental animals. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was induced in male Swiss mice by feeding a high-fat diet (HFD) for nine consecutive weeks combined with a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) at 100 mg/kg. Diabetic mice (fasting blood glucose > 10 mmol/L) were randomly allocated to four groups and orally administered for two consecutive weeks: gliclazide 80 mg/kg/day (positive control), MNC at 1.44 capsules/kg/day, or MNC at 2.88 capsules/kg/day; a normal-control group received distilled water. Blood glucose levels were measured before treatment (T₀), after one week (T₁) and after two weeks (T₂) of treatment; gross and histopathological evaluation of the liver and pancreas was carried out at the end of the experiment. MNC at 2.88 capsules/kg/day significantly reduced blood glucose levels compared with the diabetic model group (p < 0.05), with a 23.4% reduction at the final day of treatment, an effect comparable to that of gliclazide 80 mg/kg/day. MNC at 1.44 capsules/kg/day decreased blood glucose levels but the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Liver and pancreatic histology in the high-dose MNC group showed clear improvement compared with the diabetic model group, including reduced hepatocyte degeneration and pancreatic islet regeneration. These findings provide preliminary scientific evidence supporting the development of MNC herbal capsules as a herbal adjuvant in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus.