Hypoglycemic Activity of Safuf-i-Dhayabitus in Nicotinamide-Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats

Abstract

The treatment of diabetes is based on drugs aiming to control blood glucose to a normal level. Traditional plant remedies or herbal formulations are widely used worldwide to treat diabetes. Metformin is the only licensed medicine derived from the Galega officinalis L. plant (a biguanide). There is still a need for the discovery of natural treatments for diabetes and its long-term complications. The study was done to examine the antidiabetic effects of Safuf-i-Dhayabitus, an Unani formulation, in Nicotinamide-Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats and to validate the Unani claim of its antidiabetic activity.The acute toxicity of SZ was studied according to OECD Guideline 425. The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed to determine glucose utilization in the periphery. The Nicotinamide Streptozotocin-induced diabetes test was conducted by Masiello et al. in 1998. Oral administration of SZ at doses of 500, 1000, and 1500 mg/kg for 28 days. Oral administration of glibenclamide (10 mg/kg/bw) as a controlled substance for 28 days. After the investigation, every animal was sacrificed. Blood was drawn for biochemical tests such as LFT, KFT, and lipid profile, as well as a histological examination of the kidney, liver, and spleen tissues.The test drug (SZ) showed a significant reduction in fasting blood glucose levels on the 14th and 28th days of treatment. It also decreases blood glucose significantly up to 60 minutes in the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) at both doses. The SZ has not produced any derangement in LFT and RFT, confirming that it is a safe drug for human beings. No significant changes were seen in histopathology.The findings suggested that The SZ is a safe and effective formulation for the treatment of diabetes. Additional human clinical trials may be planned to establish its efficacy and safety.