Assessment of Anti-Diabetic and Antioxidant Activities of Rourea Minor Stems in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Rourea minor is a medicinal plant with anti-diabetic properties, and it can be found in South and North Asian countries. The study design involves the preparation of an ethanol Rourea minor stem extract; investigation of its oral glucose tolerance test, body weight, blood glucose, hematological, lipid profile, liver and kidney parameters, enzymatic oxidative parameters, and histopathology of the liver, kidney, and pancreas. Streptozotocin (55 mg/kg b.w) was given intraperitoneally in a single dose and was used to cause diabetes in male Wistar rats. Diabetic rats were treated with 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight of Rourea minor stems ethanol extract, and standard Glibenclamide (5 mg/kg b.w/day) for a period of 21 days. Oral administration of Rourea minor stems ethanol extract did not exhibit toxicity and death at a dose of 2000 mg/kg b.w. Rourea minor stems ethanol extract treated diabetic rats significantly (P<0.0001) reduced elevated blood glucose, glycolated heamoglobin, creatinine, urea, low-density lipoproteins, very low-density lipoproteins, alkaline phosphatase, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase, serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, glutathione, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase, and malondialdehyde levels when compared with diabetic control rats. The body weight, protein, albumin, hemoglobin, red blood cells, white blood cells, and high-density lipoprotein levels were significantly (P<0.0001) increased in diabetic rats treated with Rourea minor stems ethanol extract, as compared with diabetic control rats. The present study results confirm that Rourea minor stems ethanol extract possesses significant anti-diabetic and anti-oxidant activities in diabetic conditions.