Potential antidiabetic and hypolipidemic effects of propolis extract in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Free radicals have been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus leading to various complications including atherosclerosis. Propolis was reported to have oxygen radical scavenging activity. The present study was designed to investigate the possible antidiabetic, hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of ethanolic extract of propolis [EEP]. Type[2] diabetes was induced in rats by injection of streptozotocin [STZ] in a dose of 60 mg/kg bwt, i.p. for 3 consecutive days. After 5 weeks of STZ injection, there were an apparent reduction in the animal body weight amounting to 21% and significant increases in serum glucose [184%], triglycerides [63%], total cholesterol [43%] and low density lipoprotein-cholesterol [LDL-C] [148%] with a concomitant decrease in serum high density lipoprotein-cholesterol [HDL-C] [51%] as compared to the control normal group. In addition, there was significant elevation in pancreatic lipid peroxides measured as malondialdehyde [MDA] and serum nitric oxide [NO] amounting to 185% and 224%, respectively with marked reduction in serum reduced glutathione [GSH] andcatalase [CAT] [66% and 31%, respectively] and pancreatic superoxide dismutase [SOD] [54%] in STZ-treated rats. On the other hand, oral daily treatment of animals with EEP in a dose of 200mg/kg bwt for a period of 5 weeks ameliorated STZ-induced alterations in the animal body weight as well as in serum glucose, lipids, lipoproteins, NO, GSH and CAT and pancreatic MDA and SOD. In conclusion, propolis extract offers promising antidiabetic and hypolipidemic effects that may be mainly attributed to its potent antioxidant potential. Further studies will be needed in future in order to determine which one[or more] of its active constituents has the main antidiabetic and hypolipidemic effects

effects of oral grape seed extract on cisplatin-induced cytogenotoxicity in mice

The present investigation was directed to study the possible chemoprotective activity of orally administered grape seed extract [GSE] against cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity towards mouse somatic and germinal cells in vivo. Pretreatment of mice with GSE [100 mg/kg/day] for 7 days and simultaneously with a single dose of cisplatin [2.2 or 5.5 mg/kg, i.p.] for another day, significantly reduced the frequency of bone marrow micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes by factors of 1.9 and 1.28, respectively. Furthermore, GSE caused a reduction in bone marrow suppression induced by cisplatin treatment, particularly before the lower dose. In male germline, orally administration of GSE [100 mg/kg/day] for 7 consecutive days before and 7 consecutive days after treatment with a single dose of cisplatin [2.2 or 5.5 mg/kg, i.p.], significantly elevated the levels of sperm motility reduced by cisplatin treatment. Furthermore, GSE significantly decreased the elevated levels of sperm head abnormality induced with cisplatine by factors of 1.6 and 1.2, respectively. Our results indicate that GSE plays a role in attenuating the genotoxicity induced by cisplatin and may provide decreases in the development of secondary malignancy and abnormal reproductive outcomes risks