Abstract
Background
There are increasing concerns on the rising cases of diabetes mellitus with type 2 diabetes (T2D) being of major interest as well as the cost of its treatment. Plant phenolic compounds are natural and potent antioxidants that have been widely reported for their antidiabetic activities properties, one of which is ferulic acid. The effect of ferulic acid (FA) on major diabetogenic activities and pancreatic architecture linked to T2D was investigated in T2D rats.
Methods
T2D was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats using the fructose-streptozotocin model. Diabetic rats were treated with FA at 150 and 300 mg/kg bodyweight (bw). Normal control consisted of rats administered with food and water, while diabetic control consisted of untreated diabetic rats. Metformin was used as the standard drug. The rats were humanely sacrificed after 5 weeks of treatment. Their blood, liver and pancreas were collected for analysis. Total glycogen content and carbohydrate enzymes activities were analyzed in the liver, while the pancreas and serum from blood were analyzed for oxidative stress biomarkers, purinergic and cholinergic enzyme activities as well as amylase and lipase activities. The pancreas tissue was further subjected to microscopy and histological examinations.
Results
FA caused a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in blood glucose level, with concomitant increase in serum insulin level. Treatment with FA also led to elevated levels of GSH, HDL-c, SOD and catalase activities, while concomitantly suppressing malondialdehyde, cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-c, NO, ALT, AST, creatinine, urea, and uric acid levels, acetylcholinesterase, ATPase, ENTPDase, 5'Nucleotidase, lipase, glycogen phosphorylase, glucose-6-phosphatase, and fructose-1,6-biphosphatase activities. Histology analysis revealed an intact pancreatic morphology in FA-treated diabetic rats. While transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed an intact pancreatic ultrastructure and increased number of insulin granules in β-cells.
Conclusion
Taken together, these results portray that the antidiabetic potentials of ferulic acid involves modulation of major diabetogenic activities and maintenance of the pancreatic ultrastructure architecture.
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