Abstract
Launaea nudicaulis is used in folk medicine worldwide to treat several diseases. The present study aimed to assess the antidiabetic activity of L. nudicaulis ethanolic extract and its effect on diabetic complications in streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemic rats. The extract was orally administrated at 250 and 500 mg/kg/day for 5-weeks and compared to glibenclamide as a reference drug at a dose of 5 mg/kg/day. Administration of the extract exhibited a potential hypoglycemic effect manifested by a significant depletion of serum blood glucose concurrent with a significant elevation in serum insulin secretion. After 5-weeks, extract at 250 and 500 mg/kg/day decreased blood glucose levels by about 53.8 and 68.1%, respectively, compared to the initial values (p ≤ 0.05). The extract at the two dosages prevented weight loss of rats from the 2nd week till the end of the experiment, compared to diabetic control rats. The extract further exhibited marked improvement in diabetic complications including liver, kidney and testis performance, oxidative stress, and relative weight of vital organs, with respect to diabetic control. Histopathological examinations confirmed the previous biochemical analysis, where the extract showed a protective effect on the pancreas, liver, kidney, and testis that degenerated in diabetic control rats. To characterize extract composition, UPLC-ESI–qTOF-MS identified 85 chromatographic peaks belonging to flavonoids, phenolics, acyl glycerols, nitrogenous compounds, and fatty acids, with four novel phenolics reported. The potential anti-diabetic effect warrants its inclusion in further studies and or isolation of the main bioactive agent(s).
Highlights
This article is an open access articleDiabetes mellitus (DM) is a long-term condition and one of the degenerative diseases affecting the life-quality of individuals and their families and societies
There is a relation between insulin resistance and oxidative stress, causing a disruption in glucose and lipid metabolism concurrent with inhibition of the antioxidant enzyme system
Our results revealed that, severe disruption of spermatogenesis in the untreated diabetic rats in comparison with the control, glibenclamide and L. nudicaulis treated diabetic rats, as reported in previous studies [63], the cellular levels have been reduced of spermatocytes and spermatids; diabetes has been reported to reduce the number of spermatogenic cells, and the diameter of the seminiferous tubules as a result of oxidative stress and cellular apoptosis [64]
Summary
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a long-term condition and one of the degenerative diseases affecting the life-quality of individuals and their families and societies This disease is one of the most chronic widespread community diseases worldwide. Diabetes mellitus is one of the main reasons for glucose autoxidation, protein glycation, and polyol metabolism activation. These syndromes cause the acceleration of reactive oxygen species generation that increases the levels of oxidized forms of DNA, proteins, and lipids in several body tissues and increases oxidative stress. There is a positive relation between STZ-induced hyperglycemia (type-1) and oxidative stress resulting in diabetes complications, including alterations in tissue, lipid peroxidation, protein inhibition, and glycation [4]. The testicular histopathological alterations has never been deeply studied and these examinations could possibly aid in judging the efficacy and safety of newly emerged antidiabetic agents
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