[01] R. Maheswari, Department of Biochemistry, K. M. G College of Arts and Science, Gudiyattam, India. [02] M. Vennarasi, Department of Biochemistry, K. M. G College of Arts and Science, Gudiyattam, India.

In our study the use of plants for medicinal purpose used locally in the treatment of various diseases and we examined for their antioxidant activity. Therefore, the study deals with the evaluation of the beneficial effects of Tribulus terrestris (TT) extract on hyperglycemia, lipid profile, renal damage markers and oxidative stress in the liver and pancreas of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in rats. T2DM was induced by feeding rats with high-fat diet (HFD, 40%) for two weeks followed by a single dose of Streptozotocin (STZ, 40mg/kg, bw, ip). An aqueous leaves extract of Tribulus terrestris (TT) was evaluated for its protective effect (antioxidant effect) against High Fat Fed/Diet (HFD), Streptozotocin (STZ) Type 2 Diabetes induced in male albino rats. An Aqueous leaves extract of Tribulus terrestris (TT), a source of several phytochemicals, is a potent antioxidant. Adult male wistar rats were divided into four different groups with 2 rats in each group. Group I Served as vehicle treated normal saline (Control), rats were fed standard diet (12% calories as fat) throughout the experiment. Group II Rats received (Control+TT) rats were fed standard diet throughout the experiment and given TT (50mg/kg body weight orally) for 4 weeks. Group III received (HFD/STZ group) rats were fed HFD (40% fat, 18% protein and 41% carbohydrate, as a percentage of total kcal) for 2 weeks and then injected with STZ (40 mg/kg bw, Ip, in citrate buffer; pH 4.5). Group IV Rats received (HFD/STZ+TT) rats were fed HFD for 2 weeks and then injected with STZ and then supplemented with TT for 4 weeks. After TT treatment, blood was drawn and rats were then sacrificed, and their liver and pancreas were dissected out for biochemical assays. The level of fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C) significantly (P<0.05) increased while high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and hepatic glycogen decreased in the HFD/STZ group. TT treatment augmented these effects in the HFD/STZ+TT group. The HFD/STZ group showed elevated renal injury markers in serum, including blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), which were decreased significantly (P<0.05) by TT treatment. Moreover, treatment with TT significantly (P<0.05) ameliorated thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS), malonaldehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PC), and glutathione (GSH), glutathione-s-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT) in liver and pancreas of HFD/STZ group. The study suggests that TT is effective in reducing hyperglycemia.

Tribulus terrestris, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Oxidative Stress, Hyperglycemia

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