Evaluation of the Effects of Zn/Mg Supplemented Diet as Adjuvant Therapy with Glibenclamide on Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats

Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM), a metabolic disorder mainly characterized by hyperglycemia, causes the damage of various organs including the eyes, liver, kidney and heart. It is evident that diet plays a key role in the management of DM. Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of Zn and Mg supplemented diets as an adjuvant therapy with glibenclamide on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Methods: The rats who showed a blood glucose level of 200 mg/dL or higher, after 48 h of STZ injection, were considered as diabetic. The rats were divided into eight groups in which the normal control group comprised of non-diabetic rats whereas the rest of the groups had diabetic rats in which glibenclamide (5 mg/kg) with an ordinary diet was given to positive control group whereas test groups were treated with glibenclamide with specific diets. Blood glucose, body weight and lipid profile, as well as the liver and kidney functions, were evaluated using standard kits after a certain interval upto 21 days. Results: Glibenclamide at different doses with or without Zn and Mg significantly decreased blood glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, urea, creatinine, total bilirubin and LDL whereas increased the HDL level. The study revealed that glibenclamide together with Zn and Mg-rich diet showed the most significant (p<0.0001) results. Conclusion: The treatment of diabetes mellitus with glibenclamide can produce better results if used with Zn and Mg-rich diet which can be a potential adjuvant therapy for type-2 diabetes and its associated complications.