Online Journal of Medicine and Medical Science Research

ISSN 2277-0879; Volume 2 Issue 7, Pages 86-89; July 2013

©2013 Online Research Journals

Available Online at https://onlineresearchjournals.org/JMMSR

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The effect of cyclic monoterpene menthol on blood glucose, water and electrolyte excretion in rats   *Onwuchekwa Chinedu1 Ndodo N.D.2, and Ibrahim K.G.1   1Department of Physiology, College of Health Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto Nigeria. 2Department of Human Anatomy, College of Health Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria.   *Corresponding Author’s E-mail: chinedukwa@yahoo.com.   Received 22 May, 2013 Accepted 19 July, 2013

Rowachol (Rowa Ltd., Bantry, Eire), a proprietary choleretic containing the purified mono- and bicyclic monoterpenes menthol (32% w/v), pinene (17% w/v), menthone (6% w/v), borneol (5% w/v), camphene (5% w/v), and cineole (2% W/V) in olive oil, has been shown to cause dissolution of cholesterol gallstones in man and to inhibit hepatic HMG-CoA reductase in rats and man when administered in vivo. The present study was therefore designed to investigate the effect of menthol on water, electrolyte excretion and blood glucose concentration in rats. Menthol was administered in olive oil by gastric tube in a volume of 2ml/kg. In determining the dose-response relation for menthol, it was given at 1.0, 3.0 and 6.0 mmol/kg of body weight in a volume of 2 ml/kg. Water together with electrolyte excretion and blood glucose concentration were investigated using flame photometric and colorimetric techniques in rats (n= 48). The treatment of rats with menthol resulted in a decrease in blood glucose concentration (73.0 ± 1.39, 67.5 ±1.41 and 63.9 ±2.06 mg/dl) that was significant (p< 0.05) in all the menthol treated animals (1.0, 3.0 and 6.0 mmol/kg) compared to that of the olive oil treated control group (75.4 ± 1.10 mg/dl). There was a significant dose (p <0.05) dependent increase in urine Na+ ion level (420 ± 15.00, 450 ± 8.86, 480 ± 10.52 mmol) and urine output volume (150± 5.67, 200± 9.82, 280± 11.02 ml) in menthol treated animals compared to their control groups 400± 12.82 mmol and 135± 6.55 ml respectively, while urinary K+ excretion showed no significant change (p>0.05) in all the treated animal groups (86± 2.08, 87 ± 2.38, 89±2.09mmol) with respect to the control (81.5 ± 1.75 mmol). The study indicates that menthol increases water intake, urine output and urine Na+ excretion, and decreases blood glucose concentration and has no significant effect on urine K+ excretion.   Key words: Menthol, monoterpenes, blood glucose, electrolyte, excretion.   Suggested Citation   Onwuchekwa C., Ndodo N.D., and Ibrahim K.G. The effect of cyclic monoterpene menthol on blood glucose, water and electrolyte excretion in rats. Online J Med Med Sci Res, 2013; 2(7): 86-89

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