Abstract
Aim:The antioxidant effect of the methanol–methylene chloride extract of Terminalia glaucescens (Combretaceae) leaves was investigated in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced oxidative stress.Methods:Oxidative stress was induced in mice by a daily dose of STZ (45 mg/kg body weight i.p.) for five days. From day one, before STZ injection, normal and diabetic-test mice received an oral dose of the extract (100 or 300 mg/kg b.w.) daily. Plasma metabolites, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant enzymes in the liver were assessed and gain in body weight recorded.Results:In normal mice the plant extract reduced food and water intake, blood glucose and LDL-C level and body weight gain, did not affect the lipid peroxidation in the liver, while the antioxidant enzyme activities seemed increased. Blood glucose was decreased (P < 0.05) in normal mice treated with 300 mg/kg extract. Diabetic mice pretreated with 100 mg/kg extract as diabetic control mice (DC) showed significant (P < 0.001) body weight loss, polyphagia and polydipsia, high plasma glucose level, decrease in the liver catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase activities, and increase in lipid peroxidation. The HDL-C level was lowered (P < 0.05) whereas LDL-C increased. In 300 mg/kg extract-pretreated diabetic mice the extract prevented body weight loss, increase of blood glucose level, lipid peroxidation in liver, food and water intake, and lowering of plasma HDL-C level and liver antioxidants; this extract prevented LDL-C level increase.Conclusion:These results indicate that T. glaucescens protects against STZ-induced oxidative stress and could thus explain its traditional use for diabetes and obesity treatment or management.
Highlights
Diabetes mellitus is a major endocrine disorder and growing health problem in most countries.[1]
Diabetes manifested by experimental animal models exhibit high oxidative stress due to persistent and chronic hyperglycemia which increases the generation of free radicals, thereby depleting the activities of antioxidative defense systems with alteration of antioxidant activities of enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (Gpx).[2]
The body weight gain progressively decreased in diabetic control mice (DC) and diabetic group treated with 100 mg/kg b.w. extract (DE100)
Summary
Diabetes mellitus is a major endocrine disorder and growing health problem in most countries.[1]. Streptozotocin (STZ) is frequently used to induce diabetes mellitus in experimental animals through its toxic effects on pancreatic β-cells.[4,5] The cytotoxic action of STZ is associated with the generation of reactive oxygen species causing oxidative damage.[6]
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