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This paper aims to study the anti-diabetes activity of the Kombucha prepared from different snake fruit cultivars.

The juices of snake fruits of Suwaru, Madura, Pondoh and Bali cultivars were fermented for 14 days. Anti-diabetes activity of the products was analyzed. Twenty-four male albino Wistar rats were used and randomly divided into six experimental groups, i.e. four groups of the diabetic rats treated with the Kombucha, plus the normal group and diabetic control group. The Kombucha were orally administered to the streptozotocin induced-diabetic rats at 5 mL/kg body weight per day during the 28-day experiment. The fasting plasma glucose (FPG), oxidative stress indices (superoxide dismutase [SOD] activity and Malondialdehyde [MDA] level) and lipid profile of the blood plasma were measured. The pancreas was used for immunohistochemical study and β-cells quantification. Data were analysed by ANOVA followed by Fisher test using Minitab version 16.0.

FPG of the diabetic rats treated with the Kombucha (110.3-189.3 mg/dL) was significantly lower (p = 0.000) than the diabetic control group (413.3 mg/dL). Those were in line with the number of pancreatic β-cells of 42.1 in diabetic rats that lower (p = 006) than those in treated the diabetic rats (61.2-73.5). The treated diabetic rats had lower oxidative stress (SOD activity: 20.9-44.6 unit/100 µL with p = 0.000; MDA level: 0.37-0.48 ng/100 µL with p = 0.000) than those in the diabetic rats (SOD activity: 18.7 unit/100µL; MDA level: 0.84 ng/100 µL). The treated diabetic rats also showed better lipid profile than those in the diabetic control rats. There were cultivar differences, and the Suwaru and Madura snake fruit Kombucha demonstrated the most potential for diabetes management.

This is the first study on in vivo anti-diabetes activity of snake fruit Kombucha prepared from different snake fruit cultivars.

The purpose of this study is to examine the acute toxicity and antidiabetic activity of Asystacia gangetica leaf ethanol extract.

The study was designed as completely randomized in vivo experimental model. Where acute toxicity study was carried out using 30 albino mice, randomly assigned into six groups of five mice each. Toxicity signs and mortality were observed in the rats within a period of 24 h. The acute and sub-acute antidiabetic study was carried out using 50 rats, randomly assigned into five groups of 10 rats each. The rats’ blood glucose levels were determined and used to assess the acute and sub-acute antidiabetic activity of the extract.

Results obtained from the acute toxicity study indicated no death in any of the study groups, even at 5,000 mg/kg body weight and showed no signs of toxicity. The acute antidiabetic study showed that treatment with 400 mg/kg of the extract significantly (p = 0.01) lowered glucose level in the diabetic rats from 430.6 to 177.4 mg/dl while 800 mg/kg brought down glucose level from 370 to 144.2 mg/dl by the end of 6 h following administration when compared with the diabetic control group. It was observed that the effect of the extract mostly at 800 mg/kg also compared favorably with that of the standard drug (glibenclamide), which lowered glucose level in diabetic rats from 374.2 to 176.4 mg/dl. Furthermore, the significant reduction was evident from 4, 2 and 2 h for 400 mg/kg extract, 800 mg/kg extract and 5 mg/kg glibenclamide, respectively. At sub-acute level the blood glucose was lowered from 155.6 to 127.2 mg/dl, 137 to 124.4 mg/dl and 151.8 to 121.8 mg/dl for diabetic rats treated with 400 mg/kg, 800 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg glibenclamide, respectively, when compared to the diabetic untreated rats, which ranged from 417.6 to 358.6 mg/dl. The biochemical profile, lipid profile and hematological examination were all positively restored near to normal with the herbal treatment at the different doses. At histopathology level, the liver of the rats treated with 400 mg/kg had moderate portal inflammation without interface or lobular hepatitis while that of 800 mg/kg showed severe portal inflammation with the interface and lobular hepatitis with extensive confluents necrosis. The pancreatic cells of the treated rat showed no significant difference in the β-cells of the islets of Langerhans with hyperplasia of the acinar cell when compared to the diabetic untreated.

The record of no death and signs of toxicity implies that the extract is safe for consumption even at a high dosage of 5,000 mg/kg body weight. The significant (p = 0.01) reduction in the plasma glucose level of the treated rats as compared to the control is an indication of blood glucose-lowering potential of the extract at two different doses. The significant reduction evident of the extract at different hours and days for the two doses implies that the extract rate of lowering potentials is dose-dependent. The evidence of moderate-severe portal inflammation with the interface and lobular hepatitis at 800 mg/kg treatment is an indication that the intake of this herb at high dosage for long period is not safe for the liver tissue.

The outcome of this study suggested that the Asystacia gangetica should also be used as a vegetable in-home food preparation and food processing to use its antidiabetic effect. The herbal extract could also be incorporated into a food product and processed into herbal tea bag for convenient. The subjection of this herbal plant to heat treatment during processing could be a possible avenue to make it safe.

The economic burden and complications of diabetes mellitus management will be reduced if the practical implication of this research finding is implemented in foods as vegetable and in functional food production.

This study revealed that Asystacia gangetica leaf extract may be safe and effective for use at a low dose for acute management of diabetes mellitus. This research may be of value to those living with diabetes mellitus.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of rutin, a polyphenolic flavonoid on the fatty acid composition in liver and kidney of streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetic rats.

Extensive literature review was carried out and no reports on the effect of rutin on the fatty acid composition in diabetic tissues were found.

Streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rats showed altered lipid concentration in liver and kidney. The fatty acid composition was also altered in these tissues. Treatment with rutin to diabetic rats significantly decreased the concentration of palmitic acid, stearic acid and oleic acid, whereas linolenic and arachidonic acids were significantly increased in liver and kidney of diabetic rats. Rutin administration to normal rats did not show any significant effect on the fatty acid composition in liver and kidney.

This paper gives an idea of the changes in the fatty acid composition of diabetic tissues and during treatment with rutin.

Renal failure is an end-stage consequence after persistent hyperglycemia during diabetic nephropathy (DN), and the etiology of DN has been linked to oxidative stress. The purpose of this research was to determine the beneficial synergistic effects of S-Allyl Cysteine (SAC) and Taurine (TAU) on oxidative damage in the kidneys of type 2 diabetic rats induced by hyperglycemia.

Experimental diabetes was developed by administering intraperitoneal single dose of streptozotocin (STZ; 65 mg/kg) with nicotinamide (NA; 230 mg/kg) in adult rats. Diabetic and control rats were treated with SAC (150 mg/kg), TAU (200 mg/kg) or SAC and TAU combination (75 + 100 mg/kg) for four weeks. The estimation of body weight, fasting blood glucose (FBG), oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), oxidative stress markers along with kidney histopathology was done to investigate the antidiabetic potential of SAC/TAU in the NA/STZ diabetic group.

The following results were obtained for the therapeutic efficacy of SAC/TAU: decrease in blood glucose level, decreased level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and increased levels of GSH, glutathione-s-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT). SAC/TAU significantly modulated diabetes-induced histological changes in the kidney of rats.

SAC/TAU combination therapy modulated the oxidative stress markers in the kidney in diabetic rat model and also prevented oxidative damage as observed through histopathological findings.

This study aims to evaluate the immunomodulatory effect of traditional drink of black cincau-based wedang uwuh (WUB) on alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

WUB consists of dried herbs such as black cincau leaves (Mesona palustris BL), red ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc), cloves (Syzgium aromaticum), sappan wood (Caesalpinia sappan Lin) and soursop leaves (Annona muricata). In this study, the rats were divided into five groups: normal control, diabetic control and three groups of WUB (WUB 13.5 mL/kg and WUB 27 mL/kg) or wedang uwuh commercial (WUC) treated diabetic groups. WUB or WUC was administered by gavage for three days after rats were confirmed diabetic induced by alloxan; these injections were continued for 28 days. At the end of the experiment, the spleen of rats was analyzed using flow cytometry. Data were analyzed by ANOVA followed by Tukey test using Minitab version 16.0.

This study showed that WUB significantly inhibited the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (interferon-Y [IFN-ɣ] and tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-a]) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin 10 [IL-10] and transforming growth factor-β [TGF-ß]), and achieved a balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines that were not significantly different from normal controls. WUB 27 was able to regulate the production of relative average cytokines IFN-ɣ (7.6 ± 3.5; p = 0.010), TNF-a (8.7 ± 2.4; p = 0.018), IL-10 (6.3 ± 2.4; p = 0.001) and TGF-ß (7.4 ± 2.1; p = 0.004) that was significantly different from diabetic control. This study’s results validate that the use of WUB can result in immunomodulatory activity in diabetic rats.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study on the immunomodulatory effect of WUB which is developed based on WUC; WUB has been used by Indonesian people as a functional beverage which acts as an immune booster and body warmer.

This paper aims to study the effect of green lemon zest combined with sardine proteins in diabetic hypertensive rats (DHRs).

Male Wistar rats (n = 30) weighing 250 ± 10 g were divided into five groups. The first group consumed a diet containing 20 per cent casein (C). The other four groups are rendered diabetic by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (40 mg/kg body weight), then hypertensive by subcutaneous implantation controlled time-release pellet containing ouabain (0.25 mg/pellet). One untreated group (DHR) consumed 20 per cent casein and the three other groups consumed the same diet supplemented with 2 per cent green lemon zest (DHR-lz), or with 20 per cent of sardine protein (group DHR-sp) or with the combination of both sardine proteins and green lemon zest (group DHR-sp + lz).

DHRs feeding on the combination of both sardine protein (sp) and lemon zest (lz) induced a significant decrease of diastolic blood pressure and heart rates values compared with DHR (p < 0.05). The HDLC values were increased by +55 per cent in DHR-sp + lz compared with DHR group. Moreover, plasma non-HDLC concentrations were decreased significantly compared to DHR, DHR-lz, DHR-sp and C groups. In DHR-sp + lzvs DHR group, TBARS values were decreased by −25 per cent in the liver. Moreover, kidney TBARS were significantly reduced by −66, −51, −65 and −67 per cent compared with C, DHR, DHR-lz and DHR-sp, respectively.

These results suggest that consumption of green lemon zest combined with sardine proteins can reduce blood pressure and tissue oxidative damage and, therefore, help to prevent cardiovascular complications in hypertensive diabetic patients.

The purpose of this paper was to synthesis all primary evidence relevant to the anti-diabetic effect of dandelion. Dandelion leaf and root have been used extensively for its medicinal and health benefits since hundreds of years ago. This systematic review was conducted to gather scientific evidence that are available with regards to the anti-diabetic effect of dandelion leaf and root.

A systematic search was conducted using PubMed, BioMed, PLUSONE and Cochrane databases between June 6, 2013 and June 30, 2013. Manual search was also done on books and journals in the KNUST library and its electronic database for possible documented effects of dandelion leaf or root on diabetic patients. Key words “dandelion”, “Taraxacum”, “dandelion and diabetes”, “Taraxacum officinale”, “Taraxacum and diabetes”, “dandelion and hypoglycemia” and “dandelion and hyperglycemia” were used in the search.

The search yielded 713 papers, and after the removal of duplicates and papers not relevant to this review, 20 papers were accepted for the review. These included studies conducted in humans and animals (rats and mice). Among the 20 studies reviewed, only 1 study examined and reported a positive hypoglycemic effect of dandelion on diabetic rats.

The review only considered published papers and might have left out some unpublished research works.

The results of this review suggest paucity of data available on the use of dandelion in the treatment/management of diabetes. There is the need for well-designed clinical trials to ascertain the anti-diabetic effect of dandelion.

The consumption of dandelion by type 2 diabetic patients to treat or manage their blood glucose has not been clinically proven to be effective, as shown by the review.

The paper provides a clear picture of the evidence available in the use of dandelion as an anti-diabetic herb, and this provides some preliminary data for the conduct of a clinical research on it.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of olive cake (CO) on glycaemia and lipemia and lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes activities in erythrocytes and tissues, in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats.

Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (55 mg/kg BW). In total, 12 diabetic D rats, weighing 260 ± 20 g, were divided into two groups fed a casein diet supplemented (D-OC) or not (D) with OC (7.5 per cent), for four weeks.

In D-OC compared with D, glycaemia, total cholesterol and triglycerides values (−40 per cent; p = 0.007, 27 per cent; p = 0.007 and −27 per cent; p = 0.0019). In erythrocyte, liver, kidney, heart, muscle and brain, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances contents were respectively, (−19 per cent; p = 0.03, −32 per cent; p = 0.002, −20 per cent; p = 0.04, −68 per cent; p = 0.003, −74 per cent; p = 0.0003 and −38 per cent; p = 0.04). In erythrocyte, SOD, GSH-Px and CAT activities were respectively, (+14 per cent; p = 0.01, +74 per cent; p = 0.012 and +34 per cent; p = 0.0009). In the liver, kidney, heart and muscle, SOD activity was respectively, (+31 per cent; p = 0.004, +12 per cent; p = 0.038, +43 per cent; p = 0.001 and +23 per cent; p = 0.18). GSH-Px activity was respectively, (+121 per cent; p = 0.0009, 89 per cent; p = 0.0006, + 95 per cent; p = 0.008, +71 per cent; p = 0.02 and +26 per cent; p = 0.01), in the liver, kidney, heart, muscle and brain. Catalase activity was (+21 per cent; p = 0.008) in the liver, (+88 per cent; p = 0.0002 in the kidney, +53 per cent; p = 0,002 in the heart and 83 per cent; p = 0.00004 in the muscle).

In diabetic rats, OC reduces hyperglycaemia induced by STZ and attenuates triglyceridemia and cholesterolemia. This residue is able to decrease the oxidative stress by increasing the antioxidant enzymes activity in erythrocytes and tissues. The high contents of phytoconstituents present in OC are considered to be responsible for this effect.

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of olive cake (OC) on lipid peroxidation as well as antioxidant enzymes activities of serum, red blood cells (RBCs) and liver, in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced-diabetic rat fed cholesterol-enriched diet.

Hypercholesterolemic male rats were rendered diabetic (HC-D) by a single intraperitoneal injection dose of STZ (35 mg/kg BW). HC-D rats were divided into two groups fed for 28d a diet supplemented with OC at 7.5 percent (HC-D-OC) or not (HC-D). A control group (C) was submitted to standard diet containing 20 per cent casein for the same experimental period.

RBCs, serum and liver thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) contents were significantly increased in HC-D, compared to C group (p = 0.04, p = 0.02 and 0.03). These values were significantly decreased (48 per cent and 64 per cent; p = 0.02 and p = 0.0007) in serum and liver of HC-D-OC vs HC-D group. In RBCs, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities were, respectively, 1.5, 2- and 1.7-fold higher (p = 0.03, p = 0.008 and p = 0.03) in HC-D group compared to HC group. In serum and liver, SOD, CAT and GST activities were, respectively, 1.3-, 2.6- and 1.6-fold increased (p = 0.03, p = 0.007 and p = 0.02). In HC-D-OC compared to HC-D group, RBCs glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), CAT and GST activities were, respectively, 2.1-, 3.3- and 2.1-fold higher (p = 0.04, p = 0.0009 and p = 0.03). In serum, SOD and CAT activities were, respectively, 1.5- and 1.9-fold increased (p = 0.02, p = 0.02). In liver, SOD, GSH-PX, CAT and GST activities were significantly increased (p = 0.005, p = 0.03, p = 0.02 and p = 0.04).

In diabetic rats-fed cholesterol-enriched diet, OC was able to reduce oxidative stress by decreasing lipid peroxidation and increasing antioxidant enzymes activities in serum, RBCs and liver.

Innovative health-promoting approaches of the era have verified phytoceutics as one of the prime therapeutic tools to alleviate numerous health-related ailments. The purpose of this paper is to probe the nutraceutic potential of ginger flowers and leaves against hyperglycemia.

The aqueous extracts of ginger flowers and leaves were observed on Sprague Dawley rats for 8 weeks. Two parallel studies were carried out based on dietary regimes: control and hyperglycemic diets. At the end of the experimental modus, the overnight fed rats were killed to determine the concentration of glucose and insulin in serum. The insulin resistance and insulin secretions were also calculated by formulae by considering fasting glucose and fasting insulin concentrations. Furthermore, the feed and drink intakes, body weight gain and hematological analysis were also carried out.

In streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemic rats, the ginger flowers extract depicted 5.62% reduction; however, ginger leaves extract reduced the glucose concentration up to 7.11% (p = 0.001). Similarly, ginger flowers extract uplifted the insulin concentration up to 3.07%, while, by ginger leaves extract, the insulin value increased to 4.11% (p = 0.002). For the insulin resistance, the ginger flower showed 5.32% decrease; however, the insulin resistance was reduced to 6.48% by ginger leaves (p = 0.014). Moreover, the insulin secretion increased to 18.9% by flower extract and 21.8% by ginger leave extract (p = 0.001). The feed intake and body weight gain increased momentously by the addition of ginger flowers and leaves; however, the drink intake and hematological analysis remained non-significant by the addition of ginger parts.

Conclusively, it was revealed that leaves have more hypoglycemic potential as compared to flowers.