Ameliorative effect of borneol, a natural bicyclic monoterpene against hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats.

Diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem worldwide. Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of diabetes as it is one of the inevitable outcomes of the cellular process. The present study aims to investigate the putative antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant efficacy of a monoterpene borneol, in comparison with glibenclamide, a standard drug for therapy of diabetes. Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of 40mg/kg body weight. The results of the present study showed a significant increase in the biochemical indices viz., fasting blood glucose concentration, glycated hemoglobin, urea, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, malondialdehyde concentration, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and atherogenic index, with a significant decrease in body weight, plasma insulin, HOMA-ß-cell functioning index, glycogen, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and antioxidant enzyme activities, viz., superoxide dismutase, catalase and reduced glutathione in diabetic rats when compared to controls. In addition, histology of the normal architecture of pancreas was affected in diabetic rats when compared to controls. The results for the first time reveal that oral administration of borneol for twenty eight days significantly attenuated the above mentioned alterations near to controls. Therefore, it is suggested that borneol could be a potential therapeutic antidiabetic molecule of biological relevance.

Modulatory effect of garcinol in streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of garcinol as an antidiabetic candidate in streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats. Diabetic rats showed a significant increase in the biochemical parameters such as fasting blood glucose, glycated haemoglobin, urea, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, malondialdehyde, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, atherogenic index and a significant decrease in plasma insulin, HOMA-ß-cell functioning index, glycogen, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, body weight and antioxidant enzyme activities, viz. superoxide dismutase, catalase and reduced glutathione. Oral administration of garcinol (10 and 20 mg/kg body weight/day) for 30 days improved the above-mentioned alterations. The effect produced by the drug was compared with that of glibenclamide, a standard hypoglycaemic drug. These findings reveal that garcinol can be a promising antidiabetic candidate in the future.