Chronic Treatment with Ethanolic Extract of the Leavesof Azadirachta indica Ameliorates Lesions of Pancreatic Islets in Streptozotocin Diabetes

Abstract

AKINOLA, O. B.; CAXTON-MARTINS, E. A. & DINI, L.Chronic treatment with ethanolic extract of the leaves of Azadirachta indica ameliorates lesions of pancreatic islets in Streptozotocin diabetes. Int. J. Morphol., 28(1):291-302, 2010. SUMMARY:Botanical drugs are complementary therapies in the management of diabetes mellitus. In this work, we studied the effects of chronic treatment of diabetic rats with A. indica (neem) on blood glucose, pancreatic islet histopathology, and oxidative status of the pancreas. Fifty-four Wistar rats (5-8 weeks old) were randomly assigned to 5 treatment groups. Hyperglycemia was induced in 34 fasted rats with a single i.p. injection of STZ (70 mg/kg bw/d). Ethanolic extract of A. indica leaves (500 mg/kg bw/d) was given orally to diabetic rats (n=12) for 50d. Glibenclamide was given (p.o) at 600 µg/ kg bw/d. In each group, blood glucose, islet histopathology, and pancreatic oxidative status, were assessed. All hyperglycemic rats in the neem-treated group had become normoglycemic at the end of week 2. By 50d, the number of viable b cells was highest in the neem-treated diabetic rats (compared with the diabetic and glibenclamide groups). Similarly, islet histology showed marked improvement in this group, in addition to improved oxidative stress. Our findings confirmed the hypoglycemic effect of neem. Besides, the improved islet morphology and oxidative status in neem-treated diabetic rats suggest the potential of this herb at improving lesions of the pancreatic islet in diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes-Induced Prefrontal Nissl Substance Deficit and the Effects of Neem-Bitter Leaf Extract Treatment

“…Moreover, earlier study of the ethanolic leaf extract of neem in our laboratory showed that this extract improved hyperglycaemia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. In these rats, hyperglycaemia was reversed within the first week of oral treatment with neem leaf extract (Akinola et al, 2010). Similarly, additional work in our laboratory showed that, when administered to diabetic Wistar rats at an oral dose of 400 mg/kg bw/d, ethanolic leaf extract of bitter leaf ameliorated hyperglycaemia within the 21-day treatment period (Akinola et al, 2009).…”

Antidiabetic, antioxidant, and antilipid peroxidative activities ofDracocephalum polychaetumshoot extract in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats:In vivoandin vitrostudies

“…The formation of lipid hydroperoxides is important because they can alter membrane function and produce structural damage. Significant decline in pancreatic SOD and GSH content and increase in lipid peroxide level in this tissue have been reported in diabetic rats, which indicate increased production of ROS in this organ (Akinola et al, 2010;Budin et al, 2011;Gupta & Gupta, 2011). Also, high plasma MDA has been reported in diabetes (Mohora et al, 2006).…”

A study of hypoglycemic effects of Azadirachta indica (Neem) in human blood cells

“…The hypoglycemic effect of the plant A. indica had been studied before in animals (Akinola et al, 2010;Ali et al, 2003;González et al, 2010;Isea et al, 2011;Manish et al, 2010), usually in rats and mice, finding statistical significant neem extract effect, but not in in vitro systems using human blood cells in medium with glucose, like the research done in this case, in which it was obtained a significant result, when the glucose levels decreased significantly in the medium, as wells as the obtained by the surveys carried out in animals.…”

“…Several surveys about the neem hypoglycemic effect in animals had been carried out around the world, usually by using rats and mice, all the findings had shown significant hypoglycemic effect (Akinola et al, 2010;González et al, 2010;Isea et al, 2011;Manish et al, 2010), besides, Akinola et al (2010), also found that lesions in pancreatic islet cells had improved in the neem treated experimental group.…”