Generally, it is obvious that Giza-2 cultivar surpassed Giza-1 cultivar in the first and the second seasons, respectively in plant height (cm), Pod length (cm), number of branches/plant, weight of 100 seeds, seed yield per plant (g) and per fed (ton), crude lipids, total soluble sugars and total phenolic compounds and it is obvious that Giza-1 cultivar surpassed Giza-2 cultivar in both seasons in total nitrogen, crude protein and total alkaloid.

This study investigates blackberry juice’s effects on glucose metabolism, oxidative stress, inflammation, and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Fifty Wistar rats were distributed to five groups randomly of ten rats each: Normal control, diabetic control, 9 mL/kg body weight (b.wt) blackberry juice only, blackberry juice plus diabetes, and 500 mg/kg b.wt metformin plus diabetes. A single intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg/kg b.wt STZ induced diabetes in the rats. This animal study continued for 56 days after the confirmation of diabetes. The levels of liver function and renal function, as well as insulin, glucose-6-phosphatase, glucokinase, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and the activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), were determined. Additionally, interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and activated transcription factor 4 (ATF4) expressions were examined in the liver homogenate of rats. Furthermore, the liver tissues were utilized for histopathological examination. The results showed that blackberry juice prevented drastic loss of body weight and reduced food consumption in diabetic rats. Additionally, the levels of blood glucose, total protein, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), uric acid, creatinine, and urea improved after the administration of blackberry juice in diabetic rats. Blackberry juice significantly increased glucose metabolism and antioxidant status while reducing ER stress and inflammation in diabetic rats. Moreover, blackberry juice improved glucose metabolism by increasing insulin levels and improving the dysregulated activities of glucose-metabolizing enzymes. The microstructure of liver tissues in diabetic rats was also improved with blackberry juice treatment. Therefore, blackberry juice has the potential to alleviate diabetes in rats and could be considered as a functional food for people with diabetes.

No abstract

Obesity and diabetes are some of the most important modern health problems requiring simple preventative or palliative measures using dietary means. This study investigated the impact of strawberry juice on diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in rats using a single intraperitoneal injection of 50 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ). Fifty male rats were divided into five groups: normal control (NC), strawberry juice only (S), diabetic control (DC), and two diabetic groups treated with strawberry juice (DC + S) or metformin (DC + met). Rats were administered a single dose of both strawberry juice and oral metformin, and biochemical and histological analyses were conducted. The experiment was conducted in compliance with the Ethics Committee’s regulations for the care and utilization of animals, microorganisms, and living cell cultures in education and scientific research at the Faculty of Agriculture, Minia University (MU/FA/006/12/22). Treatment of diabetic rats with strawberry juice led to a significant decrease in blood glucose. Insulin levels were also significantly increased, while lipid profiles were lowered in the diabetic rats treated with strawberry juice. Carbohydrate metabolism enzymes and antioxidant enzyme activities in the treated rats were restored to normal levels, and the levels of lipid peroxidation and proinflammatory cytokines were notably reduced. The microstructure of pancreatic and liver cells in diabetic rats was also improved with strawberry juice treatment. In addition, HPLC analysis revealed that strawberry juice was rich in flavonoids and phenolic compounds and exhibited potent antioxidant activity. These findings suggest that strawberry juice has considerable hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects on rats with diabetes which may be used in human after further investigations.

In the present study, bitter dry beans of lupine seeds (Lupinus termis L.) cultivar Giza-1, and powder of turmeric rhizomes, (Curcuma longa L.,), and grains of yellow corn (Zea mays L.) cultivar Giza-368 were used to prepare three tercumin capsules. Chemical composition and elementary analysis of all capsules and their sources were done. The tercumin capsules composed from three portions, the first one, is fine powdered lupine seeds (FPLS), the second portion is turmeric powdered (TP) and the third one is the grain husks of yellow corn (GHYC). Generally, these data ` that the three chosen crops studied here are good, complementary and inexpensive sources for composed capsules. While the crude protein (6.69-34.15 %) and lipids (3.82-11.07%) and TSS (21.16-25.32%). From obtained, results turmeric rhizomes contain the highest content of lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene followed by bitter lupines Giza-1, and husks of yellow corn grain. Lupine seeds, turmeric rhizomes and yellow corn grains contain large quantities of carotenoid pigments, which can be used as dietary supplements or as safe food additives. Results of carotenoid levels in three tercumin capsules show that lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin and β-carotene content in tercumin capsule-2 are higher than those determined in tercumin capsule-3 and tercumin capsule-1. TPCs in both tercumin capsules and their sources tercumin capsules ranged from 2.18 to 29.48 mg/100g. TPCs in the yellow corn grains are higher than those found in the bitter lupine seeds Giza-1 (2.185 mg/100g) and turmeric rhizomes. TPCs concentrations in the tercumin capsules-3 are higher than those found in the tercumin capsules-1 and tercumin capsules-2. The levels of TPCs in the tercumin capsules-1, capsules-2 and capsules-3 are 20.1, 25.63 and 29.480 mg/100g respectively. Total flavonoid contents in tercumin capsules and their sources were assayed and the results indicate that turmeric powdered contained the highest level 4.97 mg/100 g CE followed by grain husks of yellow corn (GHYC) and the lowest level (1.396) was found in the powder of lupine seed Giza-1.The results also showed that tercumin capsule-3 contain the highest concentration (5.142) of TFs followed by tercumin capsule-1and tercumin capsule-2 contain the lowest concentration. These results showed that total alkaloids in turmeric rhizomes (1.82%) are higher than those determined in yellow corn grains (1.203%). The levels of TAs in turmeric rhizomes are always higher than those determined in yellow corn grains.