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OBJECTIVE@#This study aims to evaluate the vasodilatory effect of Chenopodium ambrosioides on the isolated rat aorta, and to explore its mechanism of action.@*METHODS@#The vasorelaxant effect and the mode of action of various extracts from the leaves of C. ambrosioides were evaluated on thoracic aortic rings isolated from Wistar rats. In addition, ethyl acetate and methanol fractions were analyzed, using thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography techniques, for their polyphenolic content.@*RESULTS@#The various active extracts of C. ambrosioides at four concentrations (10, 10, 10 and 1 mg/mL) relaxed the contraction elicited by phenylephrine, in a concentration-dependent manner. This effect seems to be endothelium-dependent, since the vasodilatory effect was entirely absent in denuded aortic rings. The vasorelaxant effect of the methanol fraction (MF) of C. ambrosioides at 1 mg/mL was also inhibited by atropine and tetraethylammonium. This effect remained unchanged by Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride and glibenclamide. The preliminary phytochemical analysis showed that the leaves of C. ambrosioides are rich in phenolic and flavonoid derivatives.@*CONCLUSION@#These results suggest that the MF of C. ambrosioides produces an endothelium-dependent relaxation of the isolated rat aorta, which is thought to be mediated mainly through stimulation of the muscarinic receptors, and probably involving the opening of Ca-activated potassium channels.
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Objective: To assess the antidiabetic effect of Opuntia dillenii seed oil on rats with diabetes mellitus. Methods: A rat diabetes model was established by intraperitoneal injection of rats with 50 mg/kg streptozotocin. Thirty albino Wistar rats were divided into five groups: the diabetic control group and normal control group were treated only with distilled water, two diabetic groups received 1 and 2 mL/kg of oil per day, respectively, for 30 days and one diabetic group received 2 mg/kg of glibenclamide. In addition, blood glucose was determined weekly. Body weight, average daily food, water intake and urinary volume of each animal were determined before and after the treatment period. After the treatment period, hepatic glycogen was determined using the anthrone reagent, and glycosuria, total cholesterol, triglycerides, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, urea, creatinine and uric acid were estimated using common clinical diagnostic kits. Results: Oral intake of the oil at 1 and 2 mL/kg for the diabetic animals significantly diminished blood glucose, glycosuria, total cholesterol, triglycerides, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, urea, creatinine and uric acid, accompanied by a noticeable elevation in the amount of hepatic glycogen in comparison with the diabetic control group. Similarly, Opuntia dillenii seed oil significantly increased the food intake and decreased the urinary volume per day in treated rats of the same groups in comparison with the period before the treatment intervention and attenuated body weight loss in the diabetic rats. Moreover, this effect of the oil was dose dependent. On the other hand, the oil did not affect their need for water. Conclusions: The results show that Opuntia dillenii seed oil has a very important antidiabetic effect on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Hence, we suggest it as a preventive control of diabetes mellitus.
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Objective: To investigate the hepatoprotective effect of Opuntia dillenii seed oil (ODSO) on CCl
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Medical plants play an important role in the management of diabetes mellitus especially in developing countries where resources are meager. This review presents the profiles of plants with hypoglycaemic properties, reported in the literature from 1990 to 2000. The profiles presented include information about the scientific name, family, methodology used, the degree of hypoglycaemic activity and the active agents. The large number of plants described in this review [176 species belonging to 84 families] clearly demonstrated the importance of herbal plants in the treatment of diabetes. It also shows the effort to isolate new potential antidiabetic agents. The plant families, including the species [sp], most studied for their confirmed hypoglycaemic effects include: Leguminoseae [11 sp], Lamiaceae [7 sp], Liliaceae [8 sp], Cucurbitaceae [7 sp], Asteraceae [6 sp], Moraceae [6 sp], Rosaceae [6 sp], Euphorbiaceae [5 sp] and Araliaceae [5 sp]. The most studied species are: Citrullus colocynthis [Opuntia streptacantha Lem. [Cactaceae], Trigonella foenum greacum L. [Leguminosea], Momordica charantia L. [Cucurbitaceae], Ficus bengalensis L. [Moraceae], Polygala senega L. [Polygalaceae], and Gymnema sylvestre R. [Asclepiadaceae]. Many studies have confirmed the benefits of medicinal plants with hypoglycaemic effects in the management of diabetes mellitus. The effects of these plants may delay the development of diabetic complications and correct the metabolic abnormalities. Moreover, during the past few years some of the new bioactive drugs isolated from hypoglycaemic plants showed antidiabetic activity with more efficacy than oral hypoglycaemic agents used in clinical therapy