Insulin sensitizing activity of ethyl acetate fraction of Acorus calamus L. in vitro and in vivo

Acorus calamus L. (AC), family Araceae, have been used in the Indian and Chinese systems of medicine for hundreds of years. The radix of AC is widely used in the therapy of diabetes in traditional folk medicine of America and Indonesia. Aim of the study To investigate the insulin sensitizing activity and antidiabetic effects of the ethyl acetate fraction of AC (ACE). Materials and methods Glucose consumption mediated by insulin was detected in L6 rat skeletal muscle cells. Diabetes and its complications related indexes were monitored after orally administrating to genetically obese diabetic C57BL/Ks db/db mice daily for 3 weeks. Results ACE (12.5 and 25 μg/ml) increased glucose consumption mediated by insulin in L6 cells (p