Topical Application of Capparis Spinosa Fruit Extract Lowers Blood Glucose Level.

Abstract

Wounds are a nightmare for people with diabetes due to the fact that they tend to heal slowly or do not heal well. Blood glucose levels, a major contributor to wound complications, must be lowered to facilitate wound healing. A medicinal plant extract with known hypoglycemic properties can be of great opportunity in curing diabetic wounds. Capparis spinosa fruit has long been used as an anti-hyperglycemic food in traditional Middle Eastern herbalism. For the first time, the capacity of caper berries to lower blood glucose levels by direct local application to the wound was proved in this study. The study was conducted using 20 male Wistar rats. Each rat was given a single dose of Alloxan (150 mg/kg) intraperitoneally. Surgical incisional wounds with fullthickness skin and a length of 1.5 cm were made in the skin of each rat, then the rats were randomly divided into Group A: 10 rats with a daily local application of the extract on the wound. Group B: 10 rats with normal saline applied topically. Blood glucose levels were evaluated daily until the end of the trial. According to an independent t-test, there was a highly significant difference (p 0.01) in the mean values of blood glucose levels between groups A and B at three days and a significant difference (p 0.05) in blood glucose levels recorded at seven days' duration. The results provide support for the use of Capparis spinosa fruit extract in managing hyperglycemia and preventing the complications associated with it in diabetics.