Preventive Effect of Pumpkin (Cucurbita Pepo L.) on Diabetic index and Histopathology of Pancreas in Alloxan-Induced Diabetes in Rats

Document Type : Original Article(s)

Authors

1 Department of Biology, School of Science, The University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center and Applied Physiology Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, School of Science, The University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

4 Professor, Herb Research Center, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran

5 Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Nowadays, medicinal plants are novel therapeutic approaches in the treatment of diabetes. This study aimed at assessing preventive effect of different doses of Cucurbita pepo (Pumpkin) on blood glucose and insulin levels and pancreas tissue in rats with diabetes.Methods: In this experience male white Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups of seven each: 1, normal group, 2, diabetic group, 3. preventive + low dose of pumpkin powder (1 g/kg) and 4. preventive + pumpkin powder (2g/kg). Groups 3 and 4 received pumpkin powder with gavage injection for 6 weeks, daily and were injected with alloxan (120 mg/kg) at the end of the second week. Fasting blood samples were collected before of injection of alloxan and at the end of experimental period. Pancreas tissue samples in all groups were collected to be microscopic investigated.Finding: There was no significant difference between the groups in level of fasting blood sugar and insulin before alloxan injection. The results indicated a significant decrease in fasting blood sugar and significant increase in insulin level in the treated groups with pumpkin powder compared to diabetic group. There was not any significant difference between function of the high and low dosages of pumpkin powder (P < 0.05). Histological studies of the pancreas tissue samples confirmed that on the base, the consumed pumpkin had significant effects on increasing the size of pancreatic islets. Conclusion: Based on these results, it is suggested that pumpkin powder consume has favorable effects in preventing hyperglycemia and the histopathological changes of pancreas in diabetes.Keywords: Diabetes, Cucurbita pepo, Pancreas, Histopathology, Alloxan monohydrate.

Keywords

References

  1. Tripathi BK, Srivastava AK. Diabetes mellitus: complications and therapeutics. Med Sci Monit 2006; 12(7): RA130-47.
  2. Wändell PE. Quality of life of patients with diabetes mellitus. An overview of research in primary health care in the Nordic countries. Scand J Prim Health Care 2005; 23(2): 68-74.
  3. Grover JK, Yadav S, Vats V. Medicinal plants of India with anti-diabetic potential. J Ethnopharmacol 2002; 81(1): 81-100.
  4. Khan A, Anderson RA. Insulin Potentiating Factor (IPF) Present in Foods, Species and Natural Products. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition 2003; 2(4): 254-7.
  5. Yuspa SH. Overview of carcinogenesis: past present and future. Carcinogenesis 2000; 21(3): 341-4.
  6. Kasetti RB, Rajasekhar MD, Kondeti VK, Fati-ma SS, Kumar EG, Swapna S, et al. Antihyper-glycemic and antihyperlipidemic activities of methanol: water (4:1) fraction isolated from aqueous extract of Syzygium alternifolium seeds in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Food Chem Toxicol 2010; 48(4): 1078-84.
  7. Park KH, Kim JR, Lee JS, Lee H, Cho KH. Eth-anol and water extract of purple sweet potato exhibits anti-atherosclerotic activity and inhibits protein glycation. J Med Food 2010; 13(1): 91-8.
  8. Mohamed RA, Ramadan RS, Ahmed LA. Effect of substituting pumpkin seed protein isolate for casein on serum liver enzymes, lipid profile and antioxidant enzymes in CCl4-intoxicated rats. Advances in Biological Research 2009; 3(1-2): 9-15.
  9. Ghasemi dehkordi N, Sajjadi SE, Ghannadi A, Amanzadeh Y, Azadbakht M, Asghari GR, et al. Iranian herbal pharmacopoeia (IHP). Hakim Research Journal 2003. 6(3): 63-9. [in Persian].
  10. Xia T, Wang Q. Antihyperglycemic effect of Cucurbita ficifolia fruit extract in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Fitoterapia 2006; 77(7-8): 530-3.
  11. Acosta-Patiño JL, Jimenez-Balderas E, Juarez-Oropeza MA, Diaz-Zagoya JC. Hypoglycemic action of Cucurbita ficifolia on Type 2 diabetic patients with moderately high blood glucose levels. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2001; 77(1): 99-101.
  12. Quanhong L, Caili F, Yukui R, Guanghui H, Tongyi C. Effects of protein-bound polysaccharide isolated from pumpkin on insulin in diabetic rats. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition 2005; 60(1): 13-6.
  13. Murkovic M, Mülleder U, Neunteufl H. Carotenoid content in different varieties of pumpkins. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 2002; 15(6): 633-8.
  14. Zuhair HA, Abd El-Fattah AA, El-Sayed MI. Pumpkin-seed oil modulates the effect of felodipine and captopril in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Pharmacol Res 2000; 41(5): 555-63.
  15. Venkatesh S, Madhava Reddy B, Dayanand Reddy G, Mullangi R, Lakshman M. Antihyperglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of Helicteres isora roots in alloxan-induced diabetic rats: a possible mechanism of action. J Nat Med 2010; 64(3): 295-304.
  16. Madhavan V, Nagar JC, Murali A, Mythreyi R, Yoganarasimhan SN. Antihyperglycemic activity of alcohol and aqueous extracts of Pandanus fascicularis Lam. roots in alloxan induced diabetic rats. Pharmacologyonline 2008; 3: 529-36.
  17. Ragavan B, Krishnakumari S. Antidiabetic effect of T.arjuna bark extract in alloxan induced diabetic rats. Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry 2006; 21(2): 123-8.
  18. Rajagopal K, Sasikala K. Antihyperglycaemic and antihyperlipidaemic effects of Nymphaea stellata in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Singapore Med J 2008; 49(2): 137-41.
  19. Sharma U, Sahu R, Roy A, Golwala D. In vivo antidiabetic and antioxidant potential of Stephania hernandifolia in streptozotocin-induced-diabetic rats. J Young Pharm 2010; 2(3): 255-60.
  20. Asgary S, Parkhideh S, Solhpour A, Madani H, Mahzouni P, Rahimi P. Effect of ethanolic ex-tract of Juglans regia L. on blood sugar in di-abetes-induced Rats. J Med Food 2008; 11(3): 533-8.
  21. Alarcon-Aguilar FJ, Hernandez-Galicia E, Campos-Sepulveda AE, Xolalpa-Molina S, Rivas-Vilchis JF, Vazquez-Carrillo LI, et al. Evaluation of the hypoglycemic effect of Cucurbita ficifolia Bouche (Cucurbitaceae) in different experimental models. J Ethnopharmacol 2002; 82(2-3): 185-9.
  22. Mohajeri D, Ghafour M, Doustar Y. Antihyperglycemic and pancreas- protective effects of Crocus sativus L. (Saffron) stigma ethanolic extract on rat with alloxan-induced diabetes. Journal of Biological Sciences 2009; 9(4): 1-9.
  23. Hii CS, Howell SL. Effects of epicatechin on rat islets of langerhans. Diabetes 1984; 33(3): 291-6.
  24. Elsner M, Gurgul-Convey E, Lenzen S. Relative importance of cellular uptake and reactive oxygen species for the toxicity of alloxan and dialuric acid to insulin- producing cells. Free Radic Biol Med 2006; 41(5): 825-34.
  25. Elsner M, Tiedge M, Guldbakke B, Munday R, Lenzen S. Importance of the GLUT2 glucose transporter for pancreatic beta-cell toxicity of alloxan. Diabetologia 2002; 45(11): 1542-9.
  26. Lenzen S. The mechanisms of alloxan- and streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Diabetologia 2008; 51(2): 216-26.
  27. Potapovich AI, Kostyuk VA. Comparative study of antioxidant properties and cytoprotective activity of flavonoids. Biochemistry 2003; 68(5): 514-9.
  28. Ratnam DV, Ankola DD, Bhardwaj V, Sahana DK, Kumar MN. Role of antioxidants in prophylaxis and therapy: A pharmacological perspective. J Control Release 2006; 113(3): 189-207.
  29. Vaya J, Aviram M. Nutritional antioxidants: mechanism of action, analyses of activities and medical applications. Current Medicinal Chemistry-Immunology, Endocrine & Metabolic Agents 2001; 1(1): 99-117.
  30. Bombardelli E, Morazzoni P. Curcubita pepo L. Fitoterapia 1997; 68(4): 291-302.
  31. Lazos ES. Nutritional, Fatty acids and oil characteristics of pumpkin and melon seeds. J Food Sci 1986; 51(5): 1382-3.
  32. Fissore EN, Matkovic L, Wider E, Rojas AM, Gerschenson LN. Rheological properties of pectin-enriched products isolated from butternut (Cucurbita moschata Duch ex Poiret). LWT-Food Science and Technology 2009; 42(8): 1413-21.
  33. Xanthopoulou MN, Nomikos T, Fragopoulou E, Antonopoulou S. Antioxidant and lipoxygenase inhibitory activities of pumpkin seed extracts. Food Research International 2009; 42(5-6): 641-6.
  34. Abdel-Hassan IA, Abdel-Barry JA, Tariq Mo-hammeda S. The hypoglycemic and antihyperglycaemic effect of Citrullus colocynthis fruit aqueous extract in normal and alloxan diabetic rabbits. J Ethnopharmacol 2000; 71(1-2): 325-30.
  35. Vessal M, Hemmati M, Vasei M. Antidiabetic effects of quercetin in streptozocin-induced diabetic rats. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2003; 135C(3): 357-64.
  36. Gourgue CMP, Champ MMJ, Lozano Y, De-lort-Laval J. Dietary fiber from mango byproducts: Characterization and hypoglycemic effects determined by in vitro methods. J Agric Food Chem 1992; 40(10): 1864-8.
Journal of Isfahan Medical School
Volume 28, Issue 117 - Serial Number 117
November and December 2011
Pages 1108-1117

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 06 February 2011
  • Revise Date: 01 November 2024
  • Accept Date: 06 April 2022

Share

How to cite

Statistics