Ameliorative Effect of Ocimum forskolei Benth on Diabetic, Apoptotic, and Adipogenic Biomarkers of Diabetic Rats and 3T3-L1 Fibroblasts Assisted by In Silico Approach

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complicated condition that is accompanied by a plethora of metabolic symptoms, including disturbed serum glucose and lipid profiles. Several herbs are reputed as traditional medicine to improve DM. The current study was designed to explore the chemical composition and possible ameliorative effects of Ocimum forskolei on blood glucose and lipid profile in high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats and in 3T3-L1 cell lines as a first report of its bioactivity. Histopathological study of pancreatic and adipose tissues was performed in control and treatment groups, along with quantification of glucose and lipid profiles and the assessment of NF-κB, cleaved caspase-3, BAX, and BCL2 markers in rat pancreatic tissue. Glucose uptake, adipogenic markers, DGAT1, CEBP/α, and PPARγ levels were evaluated in the 3T3-L1 cell line. Hesperidin was isolated from total methanol extract (TME). TME and hesperidin significantly controlled the glucose and lipid profile in DM rats. Glibenclamide was used as a positive control. Histopathological assessment showed that TME and hesperidin averted necrosis and infiltration in pancreatic tissues, and led to a substantial improvement in the cellular structure of adipose tissue. TME and hesperidin distinctly diminished the mRNA and protein expression of NF-κB, cleaved caspase-3, and BAX, and increased BCL2 expression (reflecting its protective and antiapoptotic actions). Interestingly, TME and hesperidin reduced glucose uptake and oxidative lipid accumulation in the 3T3-L1 cell line. TME and hesperidin reduced DGAT1, CEBP/α, and PPARγ mRNA and protein expression in 3T3-L1 cells. Moreover, docking studies supported the results via deep interaction of hesperidin with the tested biomarkers. Taken together, the current study demonstrates Ocimum forskolei and hesperidin as possible candidates for treating diabetes mellitus.

Investigation of the Chemical Composition, Antihyperglycemic and Antilipidemic Effects of Bassia eriophora and Its Derived Constituent, Umbelliferone on High-Fat Diet and Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

“…Our results found damaged beta cells (islets of Langerhans) and diffused exocrine cells with the presence of perilobular fibrosis. The degradation and damage of pancreatic cells observed in this study were similar to a previously published study [ 23 ]. However, these pancreatic cellular abnormalities were restored upon the administration of TME of B. eriophora in a dose-related manner.…”

“…The respective treatments of the different five diabetic groups were for 21 days as shown in Figure 8 . Dosages were chosen according to previous experiments using TME of plants [ 23 , 70 ].…”

“…Several of these plants have been reported to possess traditional medicine values such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. Reported studies have shown that several medicinal plants found in the Gulf region of Saudi Arabia, possess antidiabetic activities [ 22 , 23 , 24 ].…”

Chemical Composition and Valorization of Broccoli Leaf By-Products (Brassica oleracea L. Variety: Italica) to Ameliorate Reno-Hepatic Toxicity Induced by Gentamicin in Rats

“…The total RNA was extracted using the modified Trizol (Thermo Fisher, San Jose, CA, USA) method. The extracted RNA was quantified using a NanoDrop system, and 300 ng/target was used for the cDNA preparation against inflammatory mRNA markers using the MQ basic cDNA synthesis kit (Molequle-on, Takara, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan) [46]. The forward and reverse primers for TNF-α, IL-1β, NF k B, and GAPDH are shown in Table 1.…”

“…Kidney tissue samples from each rat were harvested; then, the specimens were fixed in Blouin's Solution, dehydrated in ascending degrees of alcohol, cleared with xylene, rapidly embedded in paraffin wax, and sectioned (5 µm thickness). The sections were stained with H&E [46]. The prepared slides were then examined under light microscopy (Olympus CX23LEDRFS1, Olympus, Tokyo, Japan) to study the histopathological changes.…”