ABSTRACT
Diabetes is characterized by elevated blood glucose levels and disturbed homeostasis of metabolic enzymes in whole-body. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ginger administration on altered blood glucose levels, intra- and extra-mitochondrial enzymes and tissue injuries in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Wistar strain rats (n = 30) were equally divided into 5 groups: normal control (NC), ginger treated (Gt, 200 mg/kg b.w. orally/30 days), diabetic control (DC, 50 mg/kg b.w.), diabetic plus ginger treated (D + Gt) and diabetic plus glibenclamide treated (D + Gli) groups. We found highly elevated blood glucose levels in the diabetic group, and the glucose levels were significantly (P < 0.001) lowered by ginger administration. Activities of intra- and extra-mitochondrial enzymes such as glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) were significantly (P < 0.01) decreased in the kidneys of the diabetic rats, while this was significantly reversed by 30 days of ginger treatment. We also observed consistent renal tissue damages in the diabetic rats; however, these injuries recovered in the ginger-treated diabetic rats as shown in histopathological studies. In this study, we demonstrated that an ethanolic extract of ginger could lower the blood glucose levels as well as improve activities of intra- and extra-mitochondrial enzymes in diabetic rats. Our results suggest that ginger extracts could be used as a nephro-protective supplement particularly to reverse diabetic-induced complications.
Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/drug therapy , Diabetic Nephropathies/prevention & control , Kidney/drug effects , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Zingiber officinale , Animals , Blood Glucose/drug effects , Body Weight/drug effects , Cytosol/drug effects , Cytosol/enzymology , Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental/metabolism , Diabetic Nephropathies/metabolism , Diabetic Nephropathies/pathology , Disease Models, Animal , Kidney/metabolism , Kidney/pathology , Male , Mitochondria/drug effects , Mitochondria/enzymology , Rats , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the nephro-protective effect of ginger against chronic alcohol-induced oxidative stress and tissue damage. DESIGN: This is a prospective animal study in which renal antioxidant enzymes were demolished by alcohol consumption and restored with ginger feeding. We fed rats with ginger for 30 days to evaluate the nephro-protective effect against alcohol toxicity. METHODS: Twenty-four Wistar strain rats were divided into 4 equal groups: normal control (Nc), ginger treated (Gt), alcohol treated (At), and alcohol plus ginger treated (At + Gt). Ginger was given to the At group for 30 days and renal antioxidant enzymes were assayed. RESULTS: Renal antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase activities, and the levels of glutathione were significantly (P < .001) decreased, whereas malondialdehyde levels were elevated in At group. However, ginger extract supplementation to the At rats reversed these effects and attained the antioxidant status to normal levels. Furthermore, degenerative changes in renal cells with alcohol treatment were minimized to nearness in architecture by ginger supplementation. CONCLUSIONS: This study concludes that alcohol-induced nephro-toxicity was attenuated by ginger extract treatment, thus ginger can used as a regular nutrient to protect the renal cells.
Subject(s)
Antioxidants/pharmacology , Ethanol/toxicity , Kidney/drug effects , Oxidative Stress , Phytotherapy , Zingiber officinale , Animals , Catalase/metabolism , Glutathione/analysis , Glutathione Peroxidase/metabolism , Glutathione Reductase/metabolism , Kidney/cytology , Lipid Peroxidation , Male , Malondialdehyde/analysis , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Rats , Rats, Wistar , Spices , Superoxide Dismutase/metabolismABSTRACT
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of ginger on oxidative stress markers in the mitochondrial fractions of cerebral cortex (CC), cerebellum (CB), hippocampus (HC) and hypothalamus (HT) of diabetic rats. Diabetes exacerbates neuronal injury induced by hyperglycemia mediated oxidative damage. A marked decrease in anti-oxidant marker enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), reduced glutathione (GSH) and increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) was observed in the diabetic rats. Decreased activities of anti-oxidant enzymes in diabetic rats were augmented on oral administration of ginger. Moreover, ginger administration depleted the MDA level, which was earlier increased in the diabetic rats. These results suggest that ginger exhibit a neuroprotective effect by accelerating brain anti-oxidant defense mechanisms and down regulating the MDA levels to the normal levels in the diabetic rats. Thus, ginger may be used as therapeutic agent in preventing complications in diabetic patients.
