Leucas lavandulaefolia Willd. is mainly used in Indian folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The oral administration of 0.15, 0.20 and 0.25 g/kg of chloroform extract of the Leucas lavandulaefolia ß owers (LLFEt) for 30 days resulted in a signiÞ cant reduction in blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin and an increase in total hemoglobin, and the effect was highly signiÞ cant in the case of 0.25 g/kg. It also prevents decrease in body weight. Oral glucose tolerance test was also performed in experimental diabetic rats in which there was a signiÞ cant improvement in glucose tolerance in animals treated with LLFEt and the effect was compared with glibenclamide. Thus, the study shows that LLFEt has hypoglycemic action.
Key words: Diabetes, glucose, hypoglycemic, Leucas lavandulaefolia.