The effect of metformin and ginseng on Alloxan-induced diabetic rats : hematological, biochemical and histopathological studies

Abstract EN

The current study was performed to evaluate the anti-diabetic action of metformin and ginseng in alloxan-induced diabetes in rats.

Forty male albino rats were used in this work, ten rats were left without any treatment and kept as a control, the remaining thirty rats were injected with alloxan to induce diabetes and then divided into three equal groups, the first group was kept without any treatment during period of the experiment, the second one treated with metformin (300 mg/kg B.Wt.) and the third one treated with ginseng at dose level of 250 mg/kg B.Wt.

for 30 consecutive days.

The results showed a significant changes in the hematological parameters, fasting blood glucose level, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) besides the activity of liver enzymes (aspartate aminotranseferase (AST), alanine aminotranseferase (ALT) and gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT)) and level of total protein in addition to lipid profile (Triglyceride (TG),total cholesterol (TC), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) except high density lipoprotein (HDL)) in all groups compared to control group.

The liver and pancreas of all groups were collected and examined histopathologically.

Metformin and ginseng have ameliorative effect on biochemical and histopathological alterations caused by hyperglycemia.

From our data it could be concluded that ginseng can be used as an effective anti-hyperglycemic and antioxidantagent.