Effect of Citrullus Colocynthis Pulp on Renal Function in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Introduction: Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most serious microvascular complications of diabetes and the main cause of end-stage renal disease. Various herbs have been used to control diabetes complications. This study aimed at investigating the effect of Citrullus colocynthis pulp on diabetes-induced renal damage in male rats. Methods: A total of 36 rats were divided into 6 groups: 1- normal (N), 2- normal + 10 mg/kg colocynth (N+C10), 3- normal + 30 mg/kg colocynth (N+C30), 4- diabetic (D), 5- diabetic+10 mg/kg colocynth (D+C10), and 6- diabetic+30 mg/kg colocynth (D+C30). The rats received colocynth pulp through gavage for two weeks. The obtained data were analyzed through ANOVA and Tukey test using SPSS 16. Results: The diabetic rats showed a sharp rise in the volume of urine, clearance of albumin, clearance of creatinine, and serum urea. Administration of colocynth in diabetic rats improved the changes to normal. Conclusion: The results of this study show that colocynth pulp has the potential to treat diabetes and to prevent the relevant kidney damages.