Potential Protective Effects of Strawberry (Fragaria Ananassa) Leaves Against Alloxan Induced Type 2 Diabetes in Rats: Molecular, Biological and Biochemical Studies

Abstract

The present study aimed to clarify the effect of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) leaves powder on some biological, biochemical and molecular parameters of alloxan-induced diabetes in rats. Diabetic rats were fed treated daily with four doses (2.5, 5 , 7.5 and 10%, w/w) of strawberry leaves powder (SLP) for 28 days, and some molecular parameters for diabetic rats were fed treated daily with two doses (7.5 and 10%, w/w) of strawberry leaves powder for 24 hours ,3 days and 10 days after preliminary study. Diabetic rats exhibited significant decreases in BWG, FI, FER values and increases the relative organs (liver, kidney, heart, spleen and lungs) weight as compared to the control. Also, significant increases in blood glucose, liver functions (AST and ALT) and kidney functions (urea and creatinine) parameters in diabetic rats as compared to the control. Supplementation of the rat diets with 2.5% to 10% w/w by SLP decreased the blood glucose level and improved the hyperglycemia complications includes liver and kidneys functions. For molecular data, feeding diabetic rats with SLP caused a significant (p≤0.05) increased in the values of mean maximal optical density (MODY) of RNA as compared with control diabetic rats. Also, diabetes increase DNA damage (maximal optical density of apoptotic fragments) of liver and pancreas in rats which has been significantly improved by feeding SLP. In conclusion, date of the present study provide a basis for the use of SLP for the prevention and/or treatment of T2D instead of/beside the synthetic medications which may have unwanted side effects.