Evaluation of antioxidant effects of harmaline in NMRI diabetic male mice

Diabetes is a metabolic disease that can causes complications such as oxidative stress and decreased levels of antioxidant enzymes. In researches, it has been found that the alcoholic extract of pecan is effective in the treatment of diabetes. Harmaline is an alkaloid of pecan extract, which has antioxidant properties. In this study, models of type 1 diabetic mice were used to evaluate the properties of harmaline.

In this study, 40 male NMRI mice were used. Mice were divided into 5 groups of eight including control (ordinary food and water recipient), diabetic (mice that became diabetic with streptozotocin), sham (diabetic mice received only the solvent of harmalin, distilled water, during the experimental stages), experimental groups 1(50 mg/kg harmaline) and 2 (100 mg/kg harmaline). At the end of the harmaline treatment period, the animals were anesthetized with ether and blood samples were taken from all groups. Glucose, insulin, lipid profile, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were measured in rat serum. Sampling of pancreatic tissue was performed using western blotting method to measure insulin changes in experimental groups.

The levels of insulin, HDL, superoxide dismutase and catalase in treatment groups had a significant increase and the levels of glucose, MDA, LDL and cholesterol in treatment groups showed a significant decrease.

Treatment of mice with harmaline can improves the condition of diabetic animals.