Abstract
The present study was performed to investigate the efficacy of an ethanol extract of the roots of Tragia cannabina for antihyperglycemic and antioxidant effects in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Male Wistar rats were administered T. cannabina (250 mg/kg) orally for 21 days, and blood glucose level was measured weekly. At the end of 21 days, concentrations of serum lipids such as total cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and protein markers such as total protein, albumin, globulin, and albumin:globulin ratio (A:G) were estimated. Also, levels of enzymes such as serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT), serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were determined. Antioxidant activity of the extract was evaluated by estimating lipid peroxides (LPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase in liver of normal control and STZ- and extract-treated rats. Histopathological changes of liver and kidney were also studied in STZ-induced diabetic animals and normal controls. All these effects produced by the extract were compared with glibenclamide, a standard antidiabetic drug. Oral administration of T. cannabina for 21 days resulted in a significant reduction in blood glucose level, lipid concentration, and SGOT, SGPT, ALP, and LPO levels accompanied by an increase in the levels of SOD and catalase in liver tissues of STZ-induced diabetic rats. Altered levels of protein markers also reverted back to normal. Histopathological changes of liver and kidney were returned to normal. The effects produced by the extract were comparable to that of glibenclamide. In conclusion, the T. cannabina showed significant antihyperglycemic and antioxidant effects in STZ-induced diabetic rats.
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