eng Oriental Scientific Publishing Company Biosciences Biotechnology Research Asia 0973-1245 2016-05-06 8 2 789 793 9640 article J. Revathy 1 S. P. Sangamithira 1 S. Sheik Abdulla 1 P. Sampath Kumar 1 Biochemistry Faculty, Department of Chemistry and Biosciences, SASTRA University, Srinivasa Ramanujan Centre, Kumbakonam - 612 001 (India). The antidiabetic effect of ethanolic extract of Costus speciosus rhizome was determined. Various secondary metabolites were also identified and quantified by HPLC analysis. The antioxidant activity is determined by hydrogen peroxide and phosphomolybdate methods. The animals were divided into four groups such as normal, diabetic untreated, diabetic treated with ethanolic extract and diabetic treated with reference drug Glibenclamide. The ethanolic extract of Costus speciosus rhizome (200mg/kg body weight/rat/day) was given to the rats for 15 days orally. Blood samples were collected by retro orbital puncture and various biochemical parameters were measured using autoanalyser. The ethanolic extract shows significant reduction in blood glucose, glycosylated haemoglobin, blood urea, serum uric acid, serum creatinine, triglycerides, total cholesterol, phospholipids, low density lipoprotein (LDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), and increase in liver glycogen, insulin and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Our experimental findings with respect to the mechanism of action of extract in alloxan induced diabetic rats suggest that it enhances insulin secretion by the islets of langerhans, enhances peripheral glucose utilization and increases serum protein levels. https://www.biotech-asia.org/vol8no2/an-experimental-evaluation-of-the-antidiabetic-and-antioxidant-effect-of-costus-speciosus-rhizome-extract-in-alloxan-induced-albino-rats/ Thiobarbituric acid (TBA); Superoxide dismutase (SOD); Costus speciosus; Alloxan; Glibenclamide