BackgroundAn impaired leukocytes function is the factor causing the susceptibility of patients with diabetes mellitus to infections. The outmost importance for the understanding of the immunological processes involved in diabetes pathogenesis is to give the characteritics of the immunological profile and changes therein, during the course of desease. Long-used in folk medicine to treat diabetes Galega officinalis L. has been chosen for the correction of the immune system dysfunction.MethodsThe experiments were conducted on male Wistar rats. Fractionation of bone marrow cells suspension was performed in a three-layer ficoll–sodium amidotrizoate density gradient. The lymphocytic-granulocytic cells proliferative activity was studied using enzyme immunoassay with 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU). For staining of bone marrow preparations May-Gruenwald-Romanowsky-Giemsa (Pappenheim) method was used. To evaluate the content of cationic proteins and myeloperoxidase in neutrophilic leukocytes cytochemical studies were performed. Content of tumor necrosis factor alpha was carried out by immuno-enzymatic analysis. Lymphocytes apoptosis was examined by fluorescent analysis using annexin V.ResultsDiabetes mellitus development was accompanied with violation of neutrophils and lymphocytes proliferation, increased activity of myeloperoxidase and enhanced apoptosis process. Administration of Galega officinalis extract under the condition of diabetes promotes the restoration of neutrophils bone marrow pool and the reduction of lymphoblasts number and causes inhibition of the lymphocytes apoptosis process.ConclusionsInvestigated medicine has a pronounced immunocorrective effect under the conditions of diabetes mellitus and can become the basis for creating a new generation of antidiabetic drugs.

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The article describes the finding of the research yacon leaves and root tubers water extracts as well as yacon root tubers suspensions effects on glucose tolerance in animals with experimental diabetes mellitus. It has been shown that the studied yacon extracts and suspensions at the dose of 0.5 g/kg produce significant hypoglycemic effect under the experimental diabetes mellitus. The glucose tolerance test and the analysis of the area under the glycemic curves have revealed that yacon root tubers in the form of a stabilized suspension exert the best hypoglycemic effect.

Hypoglycemic and antioxidant properties of extracts of medicinal plants Galega officinalis L. (aboveground part) and yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius Poepp. & Endl.) (leaves) as potential sources of biologically active substances with antidiabetic action have been studied. The pronounced hypoglycemic effect of Galega officinalis extract, devoid of alkaloids, at a dose of 600 mg/kg in experimental diabetes mellitus (DM) has been proven. The established effect is evidenced by a decrease in the concentration of glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin in the blood, increase glucose tolerance of cells, increase C-peptide and insulin content in the plasma of rats’ blood. The effective hypoglycemic effect of the extract in the studied pathology was confirmed by histological examination of the pancreas. The cytoprotective effect of the studied extract on pancreatic cells at a dose of 1200 mg/kg was experimentally confirmed. In the standard cut area, an increase was found in the number of Langerhans islets, their average area, diameter, volume, and a number of β-cells relative to these indicators in animals with diabetes. Comparative screening of the antioxidant properties of 30, 50, 70, and 96% water–ethanol extracts of yacon indicates the highest potential of 50% water-ethanol extract to block free radicals in in vitro model experiments. The non-alkaloid fraction of Galega officinalis extract showed moderate antioxidant activity and was inferior to yacon extract in its ability to neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS) and bind metal ions of variable valence. The level of antioxidant potential of the studied extracts is due to differences in the quantitative content of compounds of phenolic nature in their compositions. The obtained data on the biological effects of Galega officinalis extract on the structural and functional state of β-cells of the pancreas and antioxidant properties of Galega officinalis and yacon extracts substantiate the prospects of using these plants to create antidiabetic medicines and functional foods based on them.

Under diabetes mellitus, the administration of Galega officinalis promotes restoration of leukocyte precursors' bone marrow pool and normalizes their proliferative activity. This plant protects the functional state of leukocytes by modulating actin cytoskeleton formation and through quantitative redistribution of leukocyte membrane glycoconjugates. Galega officinalis prevents the development of diabetesassociated oxidative stress which results in antiapoptotic activity. The normalization of leukocytes' proliferative and functional capacity by Galega officinalis, along with its antiapoptotic and hypoglycemic effects, can improve the course of the disease and may prevent the development of complications of diabetes.