Antidiabetic and antioxidant effects of sage tea, Salvia officinalis in male rats exposed to hydrogen peroxide as a source of reactive oxygen species

The antidiabetic and antioxidant effects of Salvia officinalis (sage tea) were studied in 20 mature male rats for 42 days. The rats were divided into four equal groups and given the following treatments: group one as a control group (C), rats only received tap water; group two (T1) received 0.5% H2O2 as a source of reactive oxygen species (ROS); group three (T2) received sage tea as 2 mg sage in 150 mL boiling water (ad libitum); and group four (T3) received 400 IU/Kg BW/day vitamin E by oral intubation along with 0.5% H2O2. In order to determine serum glucose levels, blood samples were taken directly from the heart after the end of the experiment. Rats were slaughtered, and pancreas samples were collected for patho-histological analysis. The serum glucose levels in the sage tea with the H2O2 group (T2) and T3 as compared to the second group (T1) showed a significant decrease (p ˂ 0.05). Histological examination revealed significant recovery of the pancreatic tissues especially islets of Langerhans in sage tea and vitamin E rats (T3). This investigation suggests the antidiabetic effect of sage tea for H2O2- induced diabetic rats mediated by their effect as antioxidants.