Thiamine or vitamin B1 is a well known coenzyme and nutrient necessary for the assembly and right functioning of several enzymes involved in the energy metabolism. The present study evaluates oxidative stress and prevalence of neurodegenerative conditions in the brain following TD. The study was carried out on mice (Musmusculus) in three groups, namely control and thiamine-deficient group for 8 (TD 8) and 10 (TD 10) days. Lipid peroxidation was determined in terms of reduced glutathione (GSH) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS). The level of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione transferase (GST) were measured along with histopathological studies in all the groups. There was significant increase in the TBARS levels in group II (TD 8) and group III (TD 10) animals in comparison to controls (Group I). The GSH levels were found to be lower in both the treated groups. The level of antioxidant enzymes CAT (p \ 0.001), glutathione reductase (p \ 0.001), GPx (p \ 0.001), SOD (p \ 0.0001) were found to be significantly reduced in group III (TD 10) in comparison to controls. Histopathological studies showed moderated to extensive neuronal loss in group II and group III in comparison to control group. The increase in LPO and reduction in enzymes CAT, glutathione reductase, GPx, SOD, and GST following TD suggests mitochondrial dysfunction, neuronal loss acute oxidative stress that may impair the functioning of the brain along with the rise of neurodegenerative conditions in the affected animals.

Background:Cardiac complications associated with diabetes mellitus have become major cause of concern. Antidiabetic drugs, with varied mode of action, are although available, apprehensions exist for their limited action or side effects upon prolonged use. Efforts are therefore inclined toward finding other alternatives. The present study was, thus, undertaken to evaluate the cardioprotective effect of Azadirachta indica (AI) on microangiopathic changes in rat model of diabetes.Materials and Methods:Diabetes was induced in male rats by single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (60 mg/kg body weight). Seven days after glucose levels are stabilized, aqueous leaf extract of AI (ALE) (600 mg/kg1 body weight) was administered orally to diabetic animals every day for 7 days.Results:High blood glucose characterizing diabetes in these animals was found to show increased lipid peroxidation (LPO), altered antioxidant biomarkers together with microangiopathic alterations. The treatment of diabetic rats with ALE reduced the levels of blood glucose, LPO, and restored the activities of antioxidant enzyme. Light and transmission electron microscopic analysis revealed reduced necrotic areas and inflammation in tissue architecture of ALE treated heart in comparison to untreated diabetic group.Conclusion:AI provides cardioprotection by ameliorating oxidative stress in rat model of diabetic mellitus.SUMMARY The streptozotocin (STZ) treatment (60 mg/kg body weight) to animals induced diabetic changes such as elevated blood glucose levels, decreased body weight, altered lipid profiles together with development of proxidant state evidenced by elevated levels of lipid peroxidation (LPO), depletion in reduced glutathione (GSH) levels and altered antioxidant enzymes with consequent microangiopathic alterations in heart tissue evinced by localization of necrotic and inflamed areas in heart tissueThe treatment of animals with Azadirachta indica leaf extract (ALE) (600 mg/kg body weight) post-STZ treatment significantly reversed the adverse effects witnessed by normalized blood glucose levels, improvement in reduced body weight and stabilized lipid profilesFurther, ALE treatment also significantly reduced the LPO indices, improvement in GSH content and restoration of antioxidant enzyme activities, suggesting antioxidatant potential of ALEThe microangiopathic changes in the heart tissue consequent to induction of diabetes and oxidative stress by STZ as reiterated through light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were found to be reversed by ALE treatment. These observations pointed toward cardiopreventive effects of ALE following microangiopathic changes as seen following induction of diabetes mellitus. Abbreviations used: AI: Azadirachta indica, ALE: Azadirachta indica Leaves Extract. STZ: Streptozotocin, LPO Lipid per oxidation, GSH: Glutathione, GSSG: Glutathione disulphide, SOD: Superoxide dismutase, GP: Glutathione peroxidase, GR: Glutathione reductase.

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Objective: Azadirachta indica is a treasure of multiple pharmacological properties and presently leaves of this plant have been explored to evaluate the neuroprotective potential in diabetic rats.Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with single intra peritoneal dose of streptozotocin (60mg/ Kg body weight (BW.) to develop animal model of diabetes. Post twenty one days of streptozotocin induction, animals were treated with aqueous Azadirachta indica Leaf Extract (ALE, 600mg/Kg BW.) for seven consecutive days. Followed this, all animals were evaluated for the levels of blood glucose, lipid peroxidation (LPO), C Reactive Proteins (CRP), pro oxidant biomarkers and histological changes.Results: Streptozotocin treated rats exhibited elevated levels of blood glucose, LPO, CRP and altered pro oxidant biomarkers in comparison to control rats. Additionally, histological alterations/damage was evidenced as fragmentation, vacuolization, inflammation etc. However, ALE treatment to these rats significantly decreased blood glucose levels, LPO, CRP levels and restored pro-oxidants status. Light microscopic and ultra microscopic analysis also indicated less damage, tissue architectural changes in comparison to untreated diabetic rats. Further decrease in hyperalgesia and inflammation levels; along with protective and restorative changes following ALE treatment suggested the neuroprotective potential of Azadirachta indica leaves in diabetic rats.Conclusion: The oral administration of ALE to streptozotocin induced diabetic animals resulted in neuro-protection against degenerative oxidative stress associated with metabolic and histopathological damage in the brain.Key words:  Azadirachta indica, Antioxidants, Hyperalgesia, Neuroprotection

Diabetes mellitus is a debilitating metabolic disorder and emerged as a major complication nowadays. The role of plants and their derivatives is indispensable in the treatment of various diseases. Azadirachta indica is a medicinal plant and holds a potential to attenuate the pathological changes associated with diabetes. In the present study streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats received the Azadirachta indica leaf extracts (ALE) treatment for a period of seven consecutive days (600 mg/Kg body weight) and then evaluated for changes in the liver tissue. The diabetic rats exhibited significant (p≤0.001) increase in the lipid peroxidation levels, decrease in GSH levels and modulation in the activities of various antioxidant enzymes including catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase and glutathione-S-transferase. However, following ALE treatment to diabetic rats reported decrease in the blood glucose levels, lipid peroxidation levels, improved GSH levels and restored the activities of various antioxidant enzymes towards control levels. Besides this, light microscopic and ultramicroscopic examination of liver tissue also demonstrated less fragmentation, inflammation and decreased tissue level damage after ALE treatment, and corroborated the results of biochemical parameters. Thus, the results of present study revealed the hepatoprotective potential of Azadirachta indica in diabetes