No abstract

The present study was designed to investigate the total carbohydrate, total protein, and glycogen levels in the liver and to measure functional liver markers such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in streptozotocin-(STZ-) induced diabetic rats after treatment with methanolic extract of Rhinacanthus nasutus (R. nasutus). The methanolic extract of R. nasutus was orally administered at 200 mg/kg/day while glibenclamide was administered at 50 mg/kg/day. All animals were treated for 30 days before being sacrificed. The amounts of carbohydrate, glycogen, proteins, and liver markers (AST and ALT) were measured in the liver tissue of the experimental animals. The levels of carbohydrate, glycogen, and proteins were significantly reduced in the diabetic rats but were augmented considerably after 30 days of R. nasutus treatment. The elevated AST and ALT levels in diabetic rats showed a significant decline after treatment with R. nasutus for 30 days. These results show that the administration of R. nasutus ameliorates the altered levels of carbohydrate, glycogen, proteins, and AST and ALT observed in diabetic rats and indicate that R. nasutus restores overall metabolism and liver function in experimental diabetic rats. In conclusion, the outcomes of the present study support the traditional belief that R. nasutus could ameliorate the diabetic state.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of Rhinacanthus nasutus (R. nasutus) on mitochondrial and cytosolic enzymes in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The rats were divided into five groups with 6 rats in each group. The methanolic extract of R. nasutus was orally administered at a dose of 200 mg/kg/day, and glibenclamide was administered at a dose of 50 mg/kg/day. All animals were treated for 30 days and were sacrificed. The activities of both intra- and extramitochondrial enzymes including glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured in the livers of the animals. The levels of G6PDH, SDH, and GDH were significantly reduced in the diabetic rats but were significantly increased after 30 days of R. nasutus treatment. The increased LDH level in diabetic rats exhibited a significant reduction after treatment with R. nasutus. These results indicate that the administration of R. nasutus altered the activities of oxidative enzymes in a positive manner, indicating that R. nasutus improves mitochondrial energy production. Our data suggest that R. nasutus should be further explored for its role in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

No abstract

No abstract