PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF CAESALPINIA BONDUCELLA (LINN.) SEED KERNEL EXTRACT IN STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED HYPERGLYCAEMIA AND OXIDATIVE DAMAGE IN WISTAR RATS

Evidence implicates hyperglycemia induced oxidative stress as a key factor in the pathogenesis of both microvascular and macrovascular complications in the body. Our main objective behind this study was to explore the beneficial effect of Caesalpinia bonducella seed kernel extract on Streptozotocin-induced hyperglycaemia and oxidative damage in rats. Rats were made hyperglycemic by single intravenous injection of Streptozotocin 40mg/kg of body weight. Hyperglycemic rats treated with extract in three different doses of 200, 400 and 600 mg/kg of body weight orally for 21 days shows a significant decrease in blood glucose, HbA1c, free amino groups whereas an increase in serum insulin level, liver glycogen contents with a significant improvement in glucose tolerance. Furthermore, above extract supplementation significantly decreases the pancreatic thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances levels along with an increase in superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione contents in pancreatic tissues in treatment groups when compared with control hyperglycemic rats. Treatment with above extract has lessened the severities of degenerative changes in pancreas and also in the liver tissues as compared to that of untreated control rat with hyperglycemia. Our results suggest that the ethanolic extract of Caesalpinia bonducella seed kernel improves the antioxidant defense under hyperglycemic condition and also exhibit strong anti-hyperglycaemic effect in dose dependent manner