Bio-standardization and development of a unique polyherbal formulation with dipeptidyl peptidase -IV inhibitory activity for type 2 diabetes mellitus

Medicinal herbs may provide an alternative source of Dipeptidyl peptidase -IV (DPP-IV) Inhibitors, particularly in light of mounting evidence of high costs and adverse drug reactions associated with synthetic DPP-IV Inhibitors. DPP-IV inhibitory activity of medicinal plants <i>Commiphora mukul</i>, <i>Terminalia arjuna</i> and <i>Phyllanthus emblica</i> was elucidated in previous investigations from our lab. The goal of this work was to develop a polyherbal tablet including these medicinal plants with DPP-IV inhibitory action, conduct bio-standardization investigations, and test its anti-diabetic benefits in the streptozotocin model of Type 2 diabetes. A high-performance thin-layer chromatography technique was developed and validated in terms of linearity, accuracy, precision, repeatability, the limit of detection, and the limit of quantification for the bio-standardization of polyherbal combinations. Polyherbal combination’s demonstrated significant DPP-IV inhibitory activity. It was interesting to note that in the Type II diabetes experimental model, the polyherbal combination showed antidiabetic efficacy equivalent to that of the synthetic DPP-IV inhibitor Vildagliptin, which is used in clinical settings.