Synergism Between Probiotics and Herbs to Manage Type 2 Diabetes in Rats

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to explore the adjuvant effect of multi-strain probiotics with either saffron, cardamom, ginger, or cinnamon herbs to achieve synergistic management for controlling type 2 diabetes (T2D).
 Methods: Eighty-eight adult male, Wistar rats were used. Eight rats were kept as healthy control. Eighty rats were used to induce type 2 diabetic rats (T2DR) and were randomly assigned to ten groups. One group was an offer to 0.2 ml multi-strain probiotics orally. The rest of T2DR were gavage with 100 mg/kg aqueous extract of saffron, cardamom, ginger, or cinnamon without or with 0.2 ml multi-strain probiotics orally. Bodyweight gain (BWG), and feed efficiency ratio (FER) were recorded. Determination of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), serum insulin, C-peptide, HDL, LDL, HDL/total cholesterol ratio were performed. Serum antioxidant activity, Th1and Th2 cytokines and histopathology of the pancreas were done.
 Results: Comparable with T2DR, solely multi-strain probiotics or with herbs caused a significant reduction in BWG (P<0.05). Groups fed saffron, cardamom, and ginger and enriched with multi-strain probiotic showed significant improvement in OGTT, serum insulin, C-peptide and lipid abnormalities (P<0.05) compared to T2DR. Besides, they had antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The group received ginger alone exerted anti-hyperglycemia and anti-inflammatory effects. However, cinnamon had a moderate anti-diabetic effect and solely probiotics did not show a significant benefit for all parameters except BWG.
 Conclusion: Cardamom, saffron, and ginger enriched with multi-strain probiotics achieve a synergistic relationship for managing T2D. This finding exhibits a possible new hypothesis to manage diabetes that needs further study.

Comparative Study of Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Essential Oils and Crude Extracts of Four Characteristic Zingiberaceae Herbs

“…Comparing the content of bioactive phenolic compounds expressed as TPC among the studied plants, the lowest TPC value was determined in cardamom rhizome and correlates well with previously published studies [ 24 , 33 , 38 ]. The low TPC content in cardamom can be explained by the fact that the flavonoid diosmin, the most important single phenolic compound [ 38 ], is practically insoluble in water and poorly soluble in polar organic solvents (e.g., EtOH, MeOH) [ 67 ].…”

“…Ginger is also rich in vitamins A and C, while the other compounds such as fatty acids, proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, ash, minerals (potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron) are present in lower amounts [ 23 ]. Recent studies have shown various pharmaceutical effects of the ginger rhizome, and the most important is the proven antidiabetic effect [ 24 , 25 ].…”

Pharmacological Properties of Ginger Combinations

“…In another study by Ali et al [34], aqueous ginger extracts showed anti-hyperglycemia and anti-inflammatory activities when tested alone against type 2 diabetes in rats, in vivo [35]. When the same aqueous extracts were combined with probiotics of eight good bacteria, they portrayed synergism.…”

“…Anxiety and depression are increased by mercury II chloride (HgCl 2 ) in mice [39]. In a study by Benkermiche et al [40], ginger extracts combined with black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) oil showed prophylaxis synergistic effects on anxiety and depression behavior in Wistar rats that had been exposed to HgCl 2 [34]. This could be attributed to the pure compounds like 6-gingerol, isolated from ginger, which has shown neuroprotective effects in rodents [41], and the antidepressant activities of thymoquinone, the active ingredient in N. sativa which act synergistically when combined [14].…”