Anti-hyperglycemic activity of shan tang ping an ethanol extract from yew tree in diabetic rats

The extracts of yew tree have showed unique anti-tumor and anti-leakematic activities. Taxol extracted from it is effective against a variety of cancers, such as ovarian cancer and breast cancer. However the hypoglycemic efficacy of the extract has not been reported yet, so the effects of oral administration of yew tree extracts on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were examined. Administration of shan tang ping (STP), a fraction from the column separation of extract (450 mg/kg body weight), for 14 days reduced the serum glucose concentrations of fasted diabetic rats by 52.4%. In addition, it also decreased the concentrations of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed, a significant improvement in glucose tolerance was observed in rats treated with STP. These results suggest that STP has hypoglycemic properties and hypolipidemic action on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.