Antidiabetic and Antioxidant Activities of Zizyphus lotus L Aqueous Extracts in Wistar Rats

Abstract

Objectives: Zizyphus lotus L. is a medicinal plant, used in traditional medicine for its multiple therapeutic properties. The aim of the present study was to determine the antidiabetic and antioxidant effects of aqueous extracts of different parts of Zizyphus lotus in diabetic Wistar rats. Research methods and procedures: The male Wistar rats were rendered diabetic by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of streptozotocin (40 mg/kg body weight). Aqueous extracts from different parts, i.e, root, leaf, and seed of Zizyphus lotus L. were prepared and administrated orally to the animals at the dose of 300 mg/kg for 21 days. Blood glucose level was measured, and antioxidant status was assessed by determining oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and the activities of enzymes like catalase, glutathione reductase and peroxidase in pancreas, liver, and erythrocytes. Vitamin C levels were determined by precipitating with 10% trichloroacetic acid. Vitamins A and E concentrations were measured by HPLC. Results: The leaf and root, but not seed, extracts exerted the glucose lowering effect on 21 st day of postadministration. The leaf and root extracts corrected antioxidant status of diabetic animals in pancreas, liver and erythrocytes. The concentrations of different vitamins (vitamin A, C and E) in diabetic rats were also modulated by leaf and root, but not seed, extracts. Conclusion(s): Our study shows that oral administration of Zizyphus lotus L. extracts from roots and leaves exerted antidiabetic and antioxidant effects in diabetic rats. Z. lotus L. seems to be a good candidate to lower, in addition to conventional antidiabetic drugs, the hyperglycaemia in diabetic subjects.

Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants with hallucinogenic effect and plants used against pain, inflammatory diseases, diabetes and urinary lithiasis in Zagora “Morocco”.

“…Indeed, the fenugreek seeds [34], Marrubium vulgare [35], N. sativa [36], A. sativum [37], Carum carvi, and Ziziphus lotus [38,39] shows an antidiabetic effects in streptozotocininduced diabetic in rat and alloxan-induced diabetes in mice. Khan et al demonstrated in vitro that P. dactylifera seeds extract inhibit α-glucosidase and α-amylase level [40].…”

Potential Benefits of Jujube (Zizyphus Lotus L.) Bioactive Compounds for Nutrition and Health

“…which have been supposed to be responsible for most of its health benefits such as hypoglycemic, gastroprotective, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant properties [14, 21, 22]. In this respect, the fruit of Z. lotus is a valuable source of nutrients as well as antioxidant [4, 21, 23, 24], antimicrobial, and antifungal [13, 25], immunosuppressive [14], anti-inflammatory [26], and antiulcerogenic [21, 27] compounds.…”

“…Z. lotus seeds are used to prepare lotus oil enriched in essential fatty acids, liposoluble antioxidants, and many sterols [11]. Z. lotus root contains four dammarane saponins, large quantity of polyphenol, essential fatty acids, vitamin C, and several cyclopeptide alkaloids, termed lotusines which have a wide range of pharmacological activities including antioxidant, antiproliferative, and antidiabetic activities [12, 15–18, 22, 24, 28]. The pulp of Z. lotus contains a significant amount of carbohydrate, phenols, flavonoids, and tannins, which exhibit high antimicrobial activity [19, 25].…”

Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal Plants Used for the Treatment of Diabetes in the Tizi n’ Test Region (Taroudant Province, Morocco)

“…These species include Trigonella foenum-graecum [48][49][50], Artemisia herbaalba [51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69], Juglans regia [60], Lavandula maroccana [24,39], Salvia lavandulifolia [61], Olea europaea [21, 24,38,39,52,54,62,63], Citrullus colocynthis [64][65][66], Nigella [67,68], Argania spinosa [47,69], Ajuga iva [70,71], Capparis spinosa [72], Cistus laurifolius [73], Teucrium polium [74], Ziziphus lotus [75], Zea mays [76] and Hibiscus sabdariffa [63]. To the best of our knowledge, Cistus creticus and Cladanthus scariosus are mentioned for the first time for treating diab...…”