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Zygophyllum album has been mentioned in Tunisian system of traditional medicine to be of value in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The aqueous extract from Zygophyllum album were examined for relaxant effects in isolated mice thoracic aorta, Nitric Oxide (N0) spin-trapping technique combined with Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy has been employed to measure the ex vivo production of NO in liver, heart, pancreas and aorta. The antihyperglycemic effects of aqueous extract from Zygophyllum album (100 and 300 mg/kg bw) during 15 days on important enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in livers of non-diabetic and streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice was evaluated.Administration of the aqueous extract plant (100 and 300 mg/kg bw) for 15 days resulted in significant reduction in hepatic Glucokinase (GK), glycogen in STZ diabetic mice. In addition to that, significant increase in hepatic Phosphofructokinase (PFK), Glucose-6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PDH) observed in STZ diabetic mice. J ou rna l o f D ia be tes & M e ta bolism

Zygophyllum album has been mentioned in Tunisian system of folk medicine to be of value in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The present study was designed to investigate the possible antihyperglycemic effects of ethanolic extracts of the whole plant of Z. album on blood glucose, plasma insulin, serum lipids and hepatic glycogen and metabolism enzymes of carbohydrate in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. Administration of the ethanolic extract from plant (100 and 300 mg/kg body weight) for 14 days resulted in significant reduction in plasma glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, very-low-density liprotein, hepatic glucokinase and glycogen in STZ diabetic mice. In addition to that, significant increase in plasma high-density lipoprotein, hepatic phosphofructokinase and glucose-6 phosphate dehydrogenase was observed in STZ diabetic mice. After administration of the ethanolic extract, the increased level of plasma insulin is not significant in diabetic mice. In conclusion, the present results showed that the ethanolic extract of Z. album possesses significant antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic effects in experimental model of diabetes mellitus.

Seeds have devised sophisticated mechanisms to cope with adverse situations. Among these mechanisms the collectively referred to as redox homeostasis. We have investigated the thioredoxin (Trx)/NADPH/NADPHdependent thioredoxin reductase (NTR) systems during the pea (Pisum sativum L.) seed germination under heavy metal stress. Cotyledon and embryonic axis were analyzed between 0 and 5 days of germination in the presence or absence of cadmium (Cd). Under Cd stress conditions, NTR activity and Trx h3 and Trx h4 expression were stimulated, while the overall activity of Trx decreased. When incubated with Cd ions in vitro, the disulfide reductase activity of Trx h3 and f isoforms was drastically inhibited, probably through the formation of protein dimers as evidenced by the electrophoresis analysis. The NADPH status was also affected, since Cd treatment provoked an increase in oxidized state of coenzyme as compared to control redox ratio. The contribution of Trx system to the redox regulation during the germination is discussed in relation with the Cd-caused oxidative stress.

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