The investigation of antidiabetic and antioxidant efects of hanzabel (Achillea arabica) plant extract against streptozotocin induced in rats

Achillea arabica is a perennial aromatic herb widely used in folk medicine. The present study was carried out to evaluate the antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant effects of A. arabica flower ethanolic lyophilized extract against streptozotocin (50 mg/kg)-induced in rats. After toxicity test thirty five female rats were divided into five groups. Control, Diabetes mellitus (DM), A. arabica (400 mg/kg extract), DM+A. arabica (400 mg/kg extract) and DM+Glibenclamide (2 mg/kg). At the end of the 21-day treatment, both A. arabica extract and glibenclamide showed a significant decrease in glucose and glycolised hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in diabetic groups compared to DM group. A. arabica extract-treated diabetic groups exhibited significant reduction in malondialdehyde content, serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, alkalane phosphatase, creatinine, urea, triglyceride, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and restoration of reduced glutathine (GSH) level. In addition, antioxidant enzyme activities in liver and kidney tissues generally did not change, while glutathione S-transferase activity in kidney tissue showed a significant decrease in treatment groups compared to DM group. These findings suggested that A. arabica extract had a therapeutic effect on liver and kidney dysfunction and oxidative stress induced by diabetes, that may be probably due to its antioxidant and antidiabetic effects. A. arabica flower extract could be used as a natural source to develop diabetic and hyperlipidemic drugs. Keywords: Achillea arabica, Antioxidant, Diabetes mellitus, Lipid peroxidation, Lyophilized extract, Rat.