Antidiabetic and Antioxidant Effect of Ethanolic Extract of Propolis from Meiganga (Cameroon) on Type 2 Diabetes in Rats

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by chronic hyperglycemia. In Cameroon, the traditional treatment of this pathology is based on the use of Propolis. The present study aims to evaluate the antidiabetic and antioxidant properties of the ethanoic extract of Meiganga propolis (Adamawa Region, Cameroon). To confirm the different properties of this extract, the glycaemia, lipid profile and oxidative stress parameters of different groups of animals were assessed in a type 2 diabetes model induced by the Hypercaloric Sucrose Diet combined with dexamethasone. Simultaneous administration of the ethanolic extract of Meiganga propolis (EEMP 300 mg/kg) and the hypercaloric sucrose diet to rats for 30 days prevented a significant increase in fasting blood glucose levels compared with animals in the diabetic control group, whose fasting blood glucose levels were 78.25 ± 2.29 and 156.5 ± 2.75 mg/dL respectively on day 30. In terms of lipid profile, the administration of propolis extract (300 mg/kg) prevented a significant increase in LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels compared with animals in the diabetic control groups. The values were 27±2.71 mg/dL and 97.8±2.92 mg/dL for LDL-cholesterol. In terms of oxidative stress, simultaneous administration of propolis extract (300 mg/kg) and a high calorie diet to rats for 30 days prevented a significant increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) and increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels compared with animals in the diabetic control group. Values for this superoxide dismutase in the liver were 81.72 U/g of organ for EEMP 300 mg/kg and 58.6 U/g of organ in the liver of diabetic rats. These results justify the use of ethanoic extract of Meiganga propolis in the prevention of type 2 diabetes in Cameroon.