Development Of A Nanoparticle-Loaded Polyherbal Anti-Diabetic Formulation

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a pervasive metabolic disorder requiring novel therapeutic strategies. Combining multiple medicinal plants into a controlled-release formulation can harness synergistic anti-diabetic effects while enhancing bioavailability via nanocarriers. In this study, phytoconstituents were isolated from Gymnema sylvestre leaves, Tinospora cordifolia stem, and Trigonella foenum-graecum seeds. Sequential solvent extraction and chromatographic purification yielded key active compounds. These were loaded into β-cyclodextrin-based nanoparticles by solvent-evaporation and formulated into tablets. The extracts were rich in phenolics and flavonoids (e.g. G. sylvestre ethanol extract: 118.1 mg GAE/g, 95.5 mg QE/g) and showed significant α-amylase inhibition (e.g. G. sylvestre EtOH 44.1%; T. cordifolia Aq 51.0%; T. foenum Chl 37.9%). Optimized nanoparticles (β-CD:phytocompound 3:1) had submicron size and high encapsulation. In STZ-diabetic rats, the nanoparticle formulation (30 mg/kg) produced superior glucose-lowering compared to a marketed herbal anti-diabetic, reducing fasting glucose to ~101 mg/dL (vs 140 mg/dL for control herbal drug)[1]. Histopathology supported pancreatic protection. These results demonstrate that a nanoparticle-mediated polyherbal tablet can potentiate the bioactivity of gymnemic acid, berberine/palmatine, and fenugreek steroidal saponins, offering a promising controlled-release anti-diabetic therapy[2][3].