Improvement of Blood Glucose, Serum Antioxidant Status and Liver Enzyme Changes by Hydroalcoholic Extract of Solanum melongena Green Cap in Diabetic Rats

Abstract

<span class="s18"><span class="bumpedFont20"><strong>Background and objectives:</strong></span></span><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20"> Diabetes is associated with a wide range of disorders including oxidative stress. </span></span><span class="s19"><span class="bumpedFont20">Solanum </span></span><span class="s19"><span class="bumpedFont20">melongena</span></span><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20"> </span></span><span class="s19"><span class="bumpedFont20">L.</span></span><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20"> </span></span><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20">possesses</span></span><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20">antioxidant compounds and was introduced as an antidiabetic herb in Asian traditional</span></span><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20"> texts. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of </span></span><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20">hydroalcoholic</span></span><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20"> extract of </span></span><span class="s19"><span class="bumpedFont20">S. </span></span><span class="s19"><span class="bumpedFont20">melongena</span></span><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20"> green cap on blood glucose and antioxidant status of liver in diabetic rats. </span></span><strong><span class="s18"><span class="bumpedFont20">Methods:</span></span></strong><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20"><strong> </strong>In this experimental study, </span></span><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20">the extract was prepared by </span></span><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20">maceration </span></span><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20">method and</span></span><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20"> </span></span><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20">42 male </span></span><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20">Wistar</span></span><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20"> rats (190-220 g) were divided into 6 groups (n=7/groups) including: 1. Control; 2. diabetic groups receiving 1 mL distilled water daily; groups 3 and 4 of normal rats receiving 100 and 200 mg/kg extracts, respectively, and diabetic treated groups 5 and 6 with 100 and 200 mg/kg extract, respectively. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of </span></span><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20">streptozotocin</span></span><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20"> (55 mg/kg). At the end of study, serum levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total protein, nitric oxide (NO) level and total antioxidant capacity (FRAP) were measured. Histological changes of liver were also assessed using hematoxylin and eosin staining. </span></span><strong><span class="s18"><span class="bumpedFont20">Results:</span></span></strong><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20">Treatment of diabetic animals with the extract of </span></span><span class="s19"><span class="bumpedFont20">S. </span></span><span class="s19"><span class="bumpedFont20">melongena</span></span><span class="s19"><span class="bumpedFont20"> </span></span><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20">cap (100 and 200 mg/kg) significantly reduced serum levels of FBG, ALT, ALP, NO (p <0.001) and AST (p=0.017), while total protein (p <0.001) and FRAP (p=0.007) levels increased significantly. The extract also improved the liver tissue changes induced by diabetes. </span></span><strong><span class="s18"><span class="bumpedFont20">Conclusion:</span></span></strong><span class="s19"><span class="bumpedFont20">Solanum </span></span><span class="s19"><span class="bumpedFont20">melongena</span></span><span class="s19"><span class="bumpedFont20"> </span></span><span class="s4"><span class="bumpedFont20">cap is effective in improving liver complications and serum antioxidant status in diabetic rats.</span></span>