Pharmacognostic Profile and Antidiabetic Activity of Eleutherine bulbosa Mills. Bulbs from East Kalimantan, Indonesia

Background: Eleutherine bulbosa (Mill.) Urb., known as Bawang Dayak, is commonly found growing in Kalimantan, Indonesia. The characteristics of the environment in which the plant grows greatly influence the characteristics of the plant and its biological activity. Objective: This study aimed to determine the pharmacognostic profile and evaluate the antidiabetic activity of E. bulbosa bulb extract obtained from Kota Bangun, Kutai Kertanegara, Indonesia. Methods: The dried powdered of E. bulbosa bulbs was extracted using two different methods (maceration and microwave-assisted extraction). The evaluation of the sample fluorescence and non-specific parameters was done. The antidiabetic activity of the extracts was conducted using streptozocin-induced mice and histopathology analysis. Results: The fluorescence evaluation indicated various secondary metabolites contained in E. bulbosa simplicia. Non-specific parameters include drying loss (8.83±0.2611%), water content in simplicia (8.04±0.7481%), specific gravity (1.04±0.0058%), total ash content (20.3±0.1583%), acid insoluble ash content (1.70±0.0608%), ethanol content in extract (0.99±0.0017%), lead content (0.010 mg/g), cadmium (0.091 mg/g), Arsenic (0.0003 mg/g), aflatoxin (not detected), and mold/yeast (0.8 × 105 colonies/g) meet the established regulations. Meanwhile, the antidiabetic assay showed that both extracts decreased the blood glucose levels in mice during the 14 days of treatments in a dose-dependent manner. This activity is correlated with the increased repair of pancreatic beta cells as observed by histopathological analysis. Conclusion: The dried bulbs of E. bulbosa obtained from Kota Bangun, Kutai Kertanegara, East Kalimantan, Indonesia meet the standards set as raw materials for antidiabetic herbal medicines.