Antioxidant activity and protection of pancreatic β‐cells by embelin in streptozotocin‐induced diabetes

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant potential of embelin in streptozotocin‐induced diabetes. Methods: Diabetes was induced in rats fasted overnight by the administration of a single dose of streptozotocin, and analyzed for blood, serum, and biological and histological pancreatic tissue parameters in intact control, diabetic, and embelin‐treated diabetic rats (n = 9) at the dose levels of 15, 25, and 30 mg/kg/day for 21 days. Results: Diabetes caused highly significant abnormalities in blood, serum, and pancreatic tissue biochemical parameters. Embelin and glibenclamide administration to diabetic rats caused a highly significant decline in the blood glycated hemoglobin and serum glucose levels and nitric oxide activity, with a concomitant increase in the serum insulin level (P < 0.001). Furthermore, embelin and glibenclamide treatment increased the pancreatic antioxidant enzyme status (superoxide dismutase, catalase, reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S‐transferase, and ascorbic acid), and also decreased the thiobarbituric acid reactive oxygen species contents (P < 0.001). The histoarchitecture of the diabetic rats typically showed a degenerated pancreas with reduced β‐cell counts, while embelin treatment was shown to significantly regenerate islet cells. Conclusion: The study proves the potent antioxidant activity of embelin, which has been found to be effective in managing severe hyperglycemia.

Changes in pancreatic histology, insulin secretion and oxidative status in diabetic rats following treatment with Ficus deltoidea and vitexin

“…Similar results have also been reported in the different animal models [44, 45]. The activities of pancreatic antioxidative enzymes (GPx and SOD) are known to be diminished in the islet cells of diabetic animals as β cells are considered to be low in antioxidant defense and susceptible to oxidative stress [46, 47].…”

Embelin Induces Apoptosis in Human Glioma Cells Through Inactivating NF-κB

“…Embelin, one of the phytochemicals, has already been known to have various medicinal effects on diabetes (28,29), ischemia (30), antibacterial activity (31), osteoclastogenesis (32), and several types of cancer such as pancreatic cancer (17), prostate cancer (33), leukemia (34), hepatoma, and colon cancer (18). In the present study, we evaluated the potential of embelin as a therapeutic agent for another fatal disease, malignant glioma.…”

Morphological changes in the pancreas and glucose reduction of the aqueous extract of Costus afer leaf on alloxan-induced diabetic rats

“…Such effect may be explained in part by either a decrease in the rate of intestinal glucose absorption [15] or an increase in peripheral glucose utilization. Some authors have suggested an increased catabolism of glucose due to glucose transporter type 4 translocation to the plasma membrane in muscle and brown adipose cells [16] with up-regulation of the uncoupling protein-1 in brown adipose tissue and hepatic gluconeogenesis [15,17] occurring as a result of hyperinsulinemia or the enhancement of peripheral glucose utilization [16,18] as plausible mechanisms of action. Moreover, a possible stimulatory mechanism on the few surviving β -cells has been considered, which could allow the release of more insulin [19] .…”