Abstract
Objective: Consistent projections have indicated a steady increase in the global burden of diabetes mellitus. Given the increased cost in conventional management of the condition in addition to reported side effects and cost of orthodox management, attention is shifting to the use of alternative methods such as plants materials with dual benefits as food and medicine. Thus, this study was designed to investigate the effect of date palm fruit on some biochemical parameters in streptozotocin-induced wistar rats.
 Methods: Animals were divided into 5 groups of 6 rats each (I as normal control, II as diabetic control and 3-5 as extract-treated groups) maintained for 14 d. At the end of the treatment, the animals were fasted overnight, then sacrificed and blood samples collected for analysis of biochemical parameters (including blood glucose, blood lipids and enzymes).
 Results: The results show that treatment of diabetic animals with extract of date palm fruit show a significant (P<0.05) reduction in glucose levels in groups II–V compared to group I. Similar positive effects were observed in the levels of lipids and enzymes in treated groups compared to diabetic control group II. A GC-MS analysis of the fraction of the fruit extract revealed some bioactive compounds that may be responsible for the effects exhibited in the study.
 Conclusion: These findings which demonstrate the ameliorative effect on hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia, further support the use of date palm fruit as a nutraceutical agent.
Highlights
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or a combination of the two [1]
Based on aetiology and clinical presentation, diabetes mellitus can be broadly classified as type 1(T1DM which results from the destruction of pancreatic beta cells leading to absolute or near-absolute insulin deficiency); type 2 (T2DM-caused by progressive insulin secretory defect arising from insulin resistance); gestational
The results revealed that both the crude extract and fraction significantly (P
Summary
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or a combination of the two [1]. Diabetes mellitus is often aggravated by and associated with metabolic complications, manifesting overtime to damage of organs such as the kidney, eye, heart, blood vessels and nerves, and if not properly managed could subsequently lead to premature death. Part of the current interventions are the use of hypoglycemic chemicals, which may be out of reach of every sufferer, those from poor resource settings such as sub-Saharan Africa This justifies a clarion call to intensify the use of alternative natural remedies that have evolved long before now [7, 8] but with rather sketchy scientific evidence. These include various antidiabetic plants and plant products such as date palm
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