Experimental diabetes treated with ficus carica extract: effect on oxidative stress parameters

Abstract

Parameters related to oxidative stress were studied in rats divided into 4 groups: streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats (n=10), diabetic rats who received a single dose of a basic fraction of Ficus carica extract (n=14), diabetic rats who received a single dose of a chloroform fraction of the extract (n=10), and normal rats (n=10). Compared to normal animals, the diabetic animals presented significantly higher values for erythrocyte catalase normalized to haemoglobin levels (1.5+/-0.15 vs. 0.96+/-0.18 microg/mg) and for plasma vitamin E (73.4+/-43.9 vs. 12.0+/-1.6 mg/l), monounsaturated fatty acids (0.219+/-0.118 vs. 0.067+/-0.014 mg/ml), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA, 0.567+/-0.293 vs. 0.175+/-0.040 mg/ml), saturated fatty acids (0.779+/-0.262 vs. 0.401+/-0.055 mg/ml), and linoleic acid (0.202+/-0.086 vs. 0.106 +/-0.014 mg/ml). Both Ficus carica fractions tended to normalize the values of the diabetic animals' fatty acids and plasma vitamin E values. On studying the ratios of vitamins E and A to PUFA (129.4+/-77.5 diabetic and 68.8+/-9.1 microg/mg normal; 37.5+/-20.8 vs. 108.0+/-43.6 microg/mg) and to C18:2 (259.9+/-65.8 vs. 161.0+/-21.3 microg/mg; 68.3+/-37.9 vs. 252.7+/-102.1 microg/mg), we found statistically significant differences as a function of diabetes, with the vitamin E/C18:2 ratio being normalized by the administration of the chloroform fraction (to 152.1+/-80.3 microg/mg) and the vitamin A/C18:2 ratio being raised relative to the untreated diabetic rats by the administration of the basic fraction (91.9+/-14.5 microg/mg). Our work confirms that antioxidant status is affected in the diabetes syndrome, and that Ficus carica extracts tend to normalize it.

Decreased cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase activity contributes to cardiac dysfunction in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

“…Induction of diabetes in rats.-DM was induced as described elsewhere (10,16). In brief, 28 male adult Wistar rats (8 weeks old) weighting about 220-250g were randomly divided into two groups.…”

Phytotherapy in diabetes: Review on potential mechanistic perspectives

“…Of the plants that exert their positive effects in experimental DM through their antioxidant characters are Ficus carica via restoring levels of fatty acids and vitamin E [204] , as well as some Indian herbs, viz., Allium sativum, Azadirachta indica, Momordica charantia, and Ocimum sanctum extracts, which not only lowered the blood glucose level, but also inhibited the formation of lipid peroxides, reactivated the antioxidant enzymes, and restored levels of GSH and metals [124] . These results may authorize the use of the aforementioned herbs in the prevention of diabetes-associated complications.…”

Ficus carica Leaves Decoction on Glycemic Factors of Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Double-Blind Clinical Trial

“…FC decoction may improve lipid (16,17) and antioxidant profiles (18) of the patients with DM. Meanwhile, studies on hypoglycemic effect of F. carica (FC) are limited to one study on rats with diabetes (20) and one study on 10 insulin-dependent humans (21).…”