Ameliorative effect of glabridin, a main component of <i>Glycyrrhiza glabra </i>L. roots in streptozotocin induced Type 1 diabetes in male albino rats

570-579Glabridin (component of Licorice), a major flavonoid of Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (Fabaceae), is commonly used in the treatment of cardiovascular and central nervous system diseases. Also, it has been associated with a wide range of biological properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, estrogenic and anti-osteoporotic. Here, we investigated the antidiabetic effects of oral treatment with glabridin on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Type 1 diabetes was induced in male albino rats by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (60 mg/kg body weight). Diabetes appeared after 1-3 days after STZ injection. The animals were randomly divided into6 groups (7 animals each) as follows; Group 1: Normal control group (negative control group); Group 2 & 3: glabridin-treated control groups (25&50 mg/kg body weight); Group 4:STZ diabetic group (positive control group); Group 5 & 6:glabridin treated diabetic groups(25&50 mg/kg body weight). In normal rats, no harmful effects were detected after orally administration of both doses of glabridin on all parameters measured.The anti-diabetic activity of glabridin (especially high dose) was mediated through significantly increased the body weight gain, enzymic/non-enzymic antioxidants and HDL-cholesterol, and significantly decreased relative organ weights, serum glucose, lipid profiles, lipid peroxidation (LPO), pro-inflammatory cytokine, liver and kidney functions. The present study indicated that the anti-inflammatory/anti-oxidant activity of glabridin (especially high dose) may have beneficial effects against complications shown in STZ diabetic rats

Alleviative effects of green and black tea aqueous extracts on cellular oxidative stress and anemia in rat adjuvant-induced arthritis

335-343The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the alleviative effects of two doses (0.5 and 1.0 gm/kg body weight) of green and black tea aqueous extracts (GTE and BTE, <span style="font-size: 9.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri" lang="EN-US">respectively) on articular/extra-articular complications in rat adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA). Arthritic rats received distilled water as vehicle, indomethacin (1.0 mg/kg body weight; a non-steroidal/anti-inflammatory drug), or tea aqueous extracts orally/daily for 28 days started from the day <span style="font-size:9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri" lang="EN-US">of arthritis induction (day 0). Other arthritic rats received tea aqueous extracts <span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri" lang="EN-US">orally/daily for 14 days started from the day of arthritis onset (day 15). Both tea aqueous extracts significantly suppressed (but with different degrees) the arthritis severity/complications in AIA rat model especially at the high dose and when the treatment started from day 0. Only the high dose of GTE (from day 0) <span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri" lang="EN-US">significantly alleviated, as indomethacin (53.32 <span style="font-size:9.0pt; font-family:Symbol;mso-ascii-font-family:" times="" new="" roman";mso-hansi-font-family:="" "times="" roman";mso-char-type:symbol;mso-symbol-font-family:symbol"="" lang="EN-US">± 15.41 and 48.35 ± 17.09, respectively), all complications shown in arthritic rats including body weight loss, anemia, arthritic score, and synovial/hepatic tissues lipid peroxidation (P<0.05-0.001) through significantly increasing food intake (P<0.001) and cellular antioxidants (P<0.05-0.001): reduced glutathione level and catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities. Therefore, tea (especially green tea) may be useful in the management of rheumatoid arthritis complications. </span