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Comparative study of antidiabetic activity of two herbal extracts in alloxan-induced diabetic rats

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Abstract

Due to the increasing prevalence of diabetes and side effects of chemical medicines, it is worthwhile to discover non-pharmacological treatments for this disease. Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L) and Cordia myxa, are among the widely used medicinal herbs.The present study aimed to compare the antidiabetic activities of Trigonella foenum graecum seed aqueous extract (TE) with Cordia myxa fruit aqueous extract (CE) in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in male Wistar rats by intraperitoneal injection of alloxan (120 mg/kg BW) and afterwards, rats were randomly allocated into four groups as the following: Group 1: Normal rats, Group 2: Diabetic control rats, Group 3: diabetic rats received TE (870 mg/kg BW), Group 4: diabetic rats received CE (500 mg/kg BW).The extracts were administered orally for 30 days. Treatment with both extracts caused a significant reduction in blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin of diabetic rats in comparison with diabetic control group (P < 0.001). The activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase in diabetic rats were decreased while there was an increase in the concentration of malondialdehyde in the liver. After a period of one-month oral administration, both extracts significantly decreased the altered parameters in diabetic rats compared to untreated controls (P < 0.05).Treatment with CE significantly decreased the elevated levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and ALP (alkaline phosphatase) compared with untreated diabetic group (P < 0.05).Moreover, TE supplementation resulted in a significant decrease in liver enzymes except ALP compared to the diabetic control group (P < 0.05). Despite the comparable therapeutic efficacy, Cordia myxa fruit could be superior to Trigonella foenum graecum seeds due to its sweet taste and fewer side-effects.

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Acknowledgements

This study was based on the thesis of the first author to get her doctorate in Veterinary Medicine at the University of Zabol. We are grateful to University of Zabol for financial support. The authors also gratefully acknowledge Mr.Farough Sarani for excellent technical assistance and animal care.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Basic Veterinary Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran

    F. Yousef Nasab & M. R. Hajinezhad

  2. Lecturer of Large Animal Internal Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran

    H. Hashemi

  3. Pharmacognosy Department, Zabol University of Medical Science, Zabol, Iran

    Abdolhossein Miri

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  1. F. Yousef Nasab
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  2. M. R. Hajinezhad
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  3. H. Hashemi
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  4. Abdolhossein Miri
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Correspondence to M. R. Hajinezhad.

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants performed by any of the authors. Animal handling and experimental procedures were performed according to the guideline for Care and Use of Animals Laboratory published by the US National Institute of Health (NIH publication No85-23, revised 1996).

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Yousef Nasab, F., Hajinezhad, M.R., Hashemi, H. et al. Comparative study of antidiabetic activity of two herbal extracts in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Orient Pharm Exp Med 17, 291–295 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13596-017-0271-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13596-017-0271-0

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