Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Associate Professor of Physiology, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Shahed University and Medicinal Plant Research Center, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor of Physiology, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
3 Student of Medicine, School of Medicine, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common endocrine disorders which accompanies multiple metabolic abnormalities. On the other hand, Apium graveolens L. (AG) has been known to reduce lipid peroxidation and lower some serum lipids in an animal model of hyperlipidemia. Therefore, the effect of chronic oral administration of this plant on serum glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and HDL- and LDL-cholesterol level of diabetic rats was investigated. For this purpose, male Wistar rats (n = 40)(270-320 g; 3.5-4.5 months old) were randomly divided into 4 groups, i.e. control, AG-treated control, diabetic, and AG-treated diabetic groups. The treatment groups received oral administration of plant-mixed pelleted food (6.25%, w/w) for 6 weeks. Serum glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL- and HDL- cholesterol levels were determined before the study, and at the 3rd and 6th weeks after the study. There was a significant reduction (p<0.01) in weight of animals in AG-treated and untreated diabetic groups after 6 weeks as compared to control one and the existing difference between these two groups were not significant. In addition, serum glucose level in diabetic group increased 6 weeks after the experiment as compared to the data a week before the study (P<0.001) and AG treatment of diabetic rats only had a slight and non-significant effect. Furthermore, triglyceride level in diabetic group increased 6 weeks after the experiment in comparison with related data one week before the study (P<0.05) and there was a significant lower level of triglyceride in AG-treated diabetic rats (p<0.01). Furthermore, a similar significant reduction was obtained for AG-treated-diabetic group compared to diabetic group regarding serum cholesterol level (p<0.05). On the other hand, HDL- and LDL- cholesterol levels were significantly higher (p<0.05) and lower (p<0.01) in AG-treated diabetic group compared to untreated diabetic group, respectively. As a result, oral chronic administration of AG has no significant hypoglycemic effect but leads to appropriate changes in blood lipid profile.
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