Alleviation of diabetes mellitus through the restoration of β-cell function and lipid metabolism by Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. extract in obesogenic WNIN/GR-Ob rats

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology 2021-05, Vol.272, p.113921-113921, Article 113921
• Main Authors: Deora, Neha, Sunitha, M.M., Satyavani, M., Harishankar, N., Vijayalakshmi, Mookambeswaran A., Venkataraman, Krishnan, Venkateshan, Vijayalakshmi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aloe - chemistry; Aloe vera, WNIN/GR-Ob; Animals; Anti-Obesity Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Obesity Agents - therapeutic use; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Body Composition - drug effects; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - drug therapy; Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 - metabolism; DPP-IV; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 - metabolism; HOMA- β; HOMA-IR; Hypoglycemic Agents - pharmacology; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; Insulin - blood; Insulin Resistance; Insulin-Secreting Cells - drug effects; Insulin-Secreting Cells - metabolism; Insulin-Secreting Cells - pathology; Lipid Metabolism - drug effects; Obesity; Obesity - drug therapy; Pancreatic β-cell; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Rats; Rats, Mutant Strains; SEM; Sitagliptin Phosphate - therapeutic use; Streptozocin; Triglycerides; Type 2 diabetes
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.113921

Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. extract has been medicinally used for over 5000 years in different cultures for its curative and therapeutic properties ranging from dermatitis to diabetes. It has been demonstrated to alleviate diabetes through its protective effects on pancreatic islets and by improving insulin secretion. To investigate the simultaneous effect of ethanolic A. vera gel extract on diabetes and obesogenic milieu in Streptozotocin-induced WNIN/GR-Ob mutant obese rats. A total of 30 rats were grouped equally into WNIN/GR-Ob control (received water as a vehicle), WNIN/GR-Ob Diabetic rats (Streptozotocin-35 mg/kg bw), WNIN/GR-Ob Diabetic rats + Sitagliptin (10 mg/kg bw), WNIN/GR-Ob Diabetic rats + A. vera (300 mg/kg bw) and GR-Ob control + A. vera (300 mg/kg bw). After 4 weeks of treatment, fasting blood glucose, serum insulin, Homeostatic Model Assessment - Insulin Resistance and β-cell function, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, Dipeptidyl peptidase-IV activity, and lipid profiles were studied. In addition, ultrastructural analysis of isolated islets and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry analysis for body composition were also carried out. The A. vera treated group showed a significant reduction (p