European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

ANTIOXIDANT AND ANTIDIABETIC EFFECT OF CAPPARIS SPINOSA LINN. IN STREPTOZOTOCIN INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

Vijay Patel* and Dr. Vimukta Sharma and Dr. Santosh Kr Singh

ABSTRACT

Herbal drugs are usually considered to be safe, more effective and less toxic as compared to synthetic derivatives. Hence, the present study was aimed to investigate the potentially new source of antioxidant and antidiabetic activity from the aqueous and ethonalic extracts of Capparis spinosa Linn. seeds in Streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. To induce diabetes, streptozotocin was administered through single intraperitoneal injection of 55 mg/kg in 0.1 M citrate buffer. Capparis spinosa extracts were administered at doses of 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg body weight for 21 days. The biochemical parameters like blood glucose, liver glycogen and change in body weight were studied. Liver tissue were homogenized in ice cold saline buffer and used to investigate the level of lipid peroxidation product-thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, enzymatic antioxidants-superoxide dismutase and catalase as well as non enzymatic antioxidants- reduced glutathione. All the results were compared with standard antidiabetic drug glibenclamide. The results reveal that diabetic rats had considerably reduced body weight than normal rats at 14th and 21st day. Significant decrease in blood glucose and liver glycogen was observed in the rats treated with the extracts (P<0.05). Similarly, both the extracts showed a concentration dependent improvement in the levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase and reduced glutathione along with decrease in the thiobarbituric acid reactive substance levels (P<0.05). These results suggest the antidiabetic and antioxidant potential of Capparis spinosa Linn. in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.

Keywords: Diabetes Mellitus, Caper, lipid peroxidation.