Abstract
BackgroundStevia (Stevia rebaudiana) natural, non-caloric sugar substitute is rich source of pharmacologically important glycoside stevioside that is linked to the pathology and complications of diabetes.MethodsThe current research was carried out to explore the anti-diabetic effect of aqueous extract of Stevia rebaudiana leaves in albino rats. For this purpose, diabetes was induced by administration of streptozotocin (40 mg/kg body weight, intraperitoneally). The diabetic rats were administered with aqueous stevia extract at different dose levels (200, 300, 400 and 500 ppm/kg b.w) for 8 weeks; the control rats were fed basal diet during this period.ResultsStevia aqueous extract improved caloric management and weight control by decreasing the feed intake and body weight gain. Furthermore, intake of stevia extract resulted in significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the random blood glucose level (− 73.24%) and fasting blood glucose (− 66.09%) and glycosylated (HbA1c) hemoglobin (5.32%) while insulin (17.82 μIU/mL) and liver glycogen (45.02 mg/g) levels significantly improved in the diabetic rats, compared with the diabetic and non-diabetic control rats after 8 weeks study period.ConclusionsIt is concluded that aqueous extact of stevia has anti-diabetic effects in albino rats, and therefore could be promising nutraceutical therapy for the management of diabetes and its associated complications.
Highlights
Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) natural, non-caloric sugar substitute is rich source of pharmacologically important glycoside stevioside that is linked to the pathology and complications of diabetes
The results demonstrated that administration of stevia sweetener reduced the feed and water intakes in diabetic rats than N0 and D0
In this study, we evaluated the anti-diabetic activity of aqueous extract of stevia in diabetic albino rats as previous researches confirmed its pharmacological importance due to presence of glycosides like stevioside in it
Summary
Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) natural, non-caloric sugar substitute is rich source of pharmacologically important glycoside stevioside that is linked to the pathology and complications of diabetes. Ahmad and Ahmad BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2018) 18:179 non-caloric sweetener stevioside (a major component of stevia) is 100–300 times sweeter than sucrose and have been extensively used as a non-caloric sugar substitute in many kinds of foods, medicine, beverage, cosmetics, wine making, household chemical industry and other food industries [10]. It possesses anti-hyperglycaemic, anti-hypertensive, anti-oxidant, anti-tumor, anti-diarrheal, diuretic, gastro and renal-protective and immunomodulatory properties [11]. They mentioned that stevioside demonstrates a positive effect on hyperglycemia through decreasing the absorption of glucose in duodenum, glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis
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