Assessment of anti-hyperglycemic activities of biosynthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles using lepidium latifolium l aqueous extract in experimental diabetic rat model

Kızılarslan, Z. Assessment of Anti-Hyperglycemic Activities of Biosynthesized Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Lepidium latifolium L Aqueous Extract in Experimental Diabetic Rat Model, Master's Thesis, Van, 2025. This study aims to synthesize zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) from Lepidium latifolium (LL) plant extract by green synthesis method and to evaluate the anti-diabetic activity of these nanoparticles in vivo. The ZnO NPs have been extensively characterized in terms of their optical, structural, morphological and elemental properties by UV-vis, FTIR, SEM and EDX analyses. The antidiabetic activities of LL and LL-derived ZnO NPs were established in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat model using a single intraperitoneal dose of STZ (50 mg/kg), which is known to be toxic to pancreatic beta cells. LL and LL-ZnO NPs were administered to rats orally once daily for 21 days at doses of 50 and 100 mg/Kg, respectively, and glibenclamide was used as a reference drug group at a dose of 0.6 mg/Kg. Various parameters such as body weight changes, blood glucose levels, histopathologic changes in rat pancreas and oxidant/antioxidant activity were examined to evaluate the efficacy of the treatments. The findings revealed that UV-vis analysis showed an absorption peak at 350 nm, corresponding to the surface plasmon resonance of ZnO NPs. FT-IR indicated the presence of bioactive components involved in the synthesis. SEM and EDX analyses confirmed that the ZnO NPs were small and spherical in size, and revealed strong signals originating from zinc metal. Body weight assessment showed that body weight loss was prevented after administration of glibenclamide, LL and LL-ZnO NPs to diabetic rats, and LLZnO NPs resulted in a significant recovery of body weight compared to administration of LL alone. LL and LL- ZnO NPs exhibited a dose-dependent reduction in blood glucose levels compared to the reference drug glibenclamide (p<0.05). When compared to STZ, LL and LL-ZnO NPs significantly lowered blood glucose levels (p<0.05). Furthermore, TAS-TOS analysis of serum samples showed that TAS levels in the STZ group were significantly decreased compared to the other groups. In contrast, a significant increase in TAS levels was observed in the LL-ZnO NPs and glibenclamide groups. However, a significant decrease in TOS levels was observed with LL and LL-ZnO NPs, while TOS levels increased in the untreated injury group. These results were supported by OSI levels. In addition, it has been observed that ZnO NPs provide partial recovery in pancreatic cell structure. LL-ZnO NPs exhibited significant antioxidant activity as well as antidiabetic effects. This study demonstrates that nano-sized ZnO NPs can be produced on an industrial scale using a green and cost-effective method and can be utilized in various applications. Therefore, more comprehensive research is needed to enable the safer use of green-synthesized nanoparticles in the treatment and management of various diseases. Keywords: Diabetes Mellitus, Zinc Nanoparticles, Antioxidant, Lepidium Latifolium, Rat