Balloon Vine Medicinal Uses

Balloon vine is a dry grass of the Cardiospermum halicacabum L. of Sapindaceae , also known as balloonvine heartseed herb, redcalyx glorybower herb, horn lantern, growing in the wilderness, field border, and shrubs. It is extensively used to treat diabetes, pneumonia, yellow pox, gonorrhea, rheumatism, bruises, snake bites, etc among the folk.
Application of the balloon vine extract in the preparation of pharmaceutical preparation for treating diabetes.
When studying the pharmacological effects of lowering the blood sugar of balloon vine, researchers found that its ethanol extract can significantly reduce the blood sugar level of mice with diabete induced by alloxan and adrenaline, and screen the ethyl acetate and the Butyl Alcohol as active parts to lower blood sugar. 
Then they filter 11 compounds from the effective part and identify them, including taraxerol, 30-alnusonol and other chemical composition. 

A-glucosidase can catalyze the final step of starch or sucrose digestion to produce rich carbohydrates, currently being one of the main substances in the treatment of diabetes. The Q-glucose inhibitors clinically used in the treatment of diabetes are mainly acarbose, voglibose, miglitol, etc., however, these compounds have certain side effects. Therefore, to find a safe, effective and reliable natural medicine for treatment of diabetes has important realistic significance. Therefore, taraxerol and 30-alnusonol, the main components of the active part of the balloon vines, work as research objects. A-glucose is the target, and its anti-diabetic effect in vitro is further filtered.
Study on the hypoglycemic effect of the extract of the balloon vine
Method: A model of type 2 diabetes mellitus was induced by high-fat, high-sugar diet and low-dose injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Different doses of different parts of the balloon vine were used to intervene to determine the body weight change, fasting plasma glucose,  oral glucose tolerance, and serum cholesterol (CHO). 
Results: There was no significant difference in body weight between the mice in each group. The extract of balloon vine and 30% alcohol eluate obviously reduced fasting plasma glucose in diabetic mice (P<0.05) and increased glucose tolerance (P<0.01). 60% alcohol eluate can increase glucose tolerance in mice 1h (P <0.01). 
Conclusion: The main active part of balloon vine for hypoglycemic effect is 30% alcohol eluate and 60% alcohol eluate.

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