THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF VOLATILE OILS AND ALCOHOLIC AQUEOUS EXTRACTS OF BASIL AND THYME LEAVES ON DIABETIC RATS

Abstract

The objective of this work to study the therapeutic effect of volatile oils and alcoholic aqueous extracts of basil and thyme leaves in blood glucose and lipid profile of alloxan- induced in diabetic rats. volatile oils were extracted by hydrodistilation and alcoholic aqueous extracts which had been obtained by using methanol. In the experiment animals, fifty rats were divided into ten groups (n=5). Rats were injected (i.p) with alloxan- monohydrate (100mg/kg b.w.).Animals showing fasting blood glucose higher than 300mg/dl were selected and used as diabetic rats. volatile oils and alcoholic aqueous extracts of basil and thyme were administered at dose levels of 200 and 300 mg/kg body weight orally. Scavenging effect on DPPH radicals were determined .Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of the extracts were evaluated by the determination of blood glucose, plasma insulin, total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, ALT, AST, creatinine, uric acid and bilirubin. Also, evaluated some blood antioxidant parameters by the determination of MDA, SOD and GSH. The results showed high scavenging activity with a concentration of 1000 ug/mg where alcoholic aqueous extracts of basil leaves were the best ones (96.97 ±0.58), followed by BHT (95.9 ±3.18) then by alcoholic aqueous extracts of thyme leaves (94.2 ± 58).The results revealed that the group treated with volatile oils and alcoholic aqueous extracts of basil and thyme exhibited high levels of insulin in comparing with diabetic control (4.8Uu/ml). The rats group treated with basil oil(200mg),thyme oil (200mg) and basil oil(300mg)significant increase P< 0.01of plasma insulin (9.01Uu/ml),( 9.4 Uu/ml) and (9.51Uu/ml) respectively. The results showed that the diabetic rats receiving volatile oils and alcoholic aqueous extracts of basil and thyme had significantly lower levels of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol levels than those of diabetic control group. All treated groups showed significant increase in superoxide dismutase compared with diabetic control group.