COMPARATIVE STUDY TO GINSENG AND CINNAMON WATER EXTRACT ON DIABETIC ADULT MALE ALBINO RAT

Abstract

Background: Constituents of ginseng root produce immunomodulatory, vasodilatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-aging, anticancer, anti-fatigue, anti-stress and anti-depressive effects. Ginseng treatment improves mitochondrial and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis function and increases anabolic hormone secretion. Water-soluble cinnamon compounds stimulate the autophosphorylation of the insulin receptor and inhibit phosphotyrosine phosphatase, an enzyme functioning in the dephosphorylation of the insulin receptor. Objective: Comparing the effects of ginseng and aqueous extract on diabetic adult male albino rat. Materials and Methods: Eighty rats of local strain were used for studying these effects. The animals were divided equally into ten equal groups: three of them were non diabetic received either distilled water, ginseng or cinnamon. The 4th group was diabetic received distilled water. The remaining six groups were diabetic either treated or pretreated with ginseng or cinnamon or both. The experimental procedure continued for one month. At the end of the experiment, body weight and rat tail systolic blood pressure were measured, then blood samples were taken for blood glucose, HbA1c, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, and CRP levels. Specimens from liver were taken for histopathological studies. Results: Results of the present study revealed that diabetic group receiving distilled water showed significant elevation of blood glucose, HbA1c, total cholesterol, TAGs, LDL and CRP, whereas body weight, systolic blood pressure and HDL were significantly reduced. Hepatocytes were markedly infiltrated with fat, and showed marked reduction in mitochondria and glycogen content. Treatment with ginseng caused significant improvement in HDL and CRP levels. Treatment with cinnamon caused significant improvement in cholesterol TAGs, CRP, systolic blood pressure with remarkable improvement in mitochondrial and glycogen contents of hepatocytes which were also less degenerated than the diabetic control group. Pretreatment with either ginseng, cinnamon or both showed a protective effect against alloxan-nicotinamide induced diabetes. Conclusion: Both ginseng and cinnamon could be of great value in diabetic management and able to alter the different mechanisms included in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications namely hyperlipedemia, oxidative stress and stimulating inflammatory processes. Also, both agents showed hepatic protective effects against diabetic induced hepatic injury.