Antidiabetic activity of Diospyros peregrina fruit: Effect on hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and augmented oxidative stress in experimental type 2 diabetes

Diospyros peregrina is an edible fruit of costal West-Bengal. The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the role of aqueous extract of D. peregrina fruit in streptozotocin–nicotinamide induced type 2 diabetic rats. Oral administration of extract at the doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight per day for 28 days to diabetic rats was found to possess significant dose dependant hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activity. An increased reactive oxygen species and insufficient antioxidant activity is associated with diabetes mellitus, which is mainly responsible for diabetic pathogenesis. The role of extract on antioxidant markers of liver and kidney were estimated. The diabetic rats exhibited lower activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and reduced glutathione (GSH) content in hepatic and renal tissues as compared with normal rats. The activities of SOD, CAT, and GSH were found to be increased in extract treated diabetic rats in selected tissues. The increased level of lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and hydroperoxide) in diabetic rats was also found to be reverted back to near normal status in extract treated groups.