PROTECTIVE ROLE OF GYMNEMIC ACID IN CURBING HIGH FAT DIET AND HIGH FRUCTOSE INDUCED PANCREATIC OXIDATIVE STRESS MEDIATED TYPE-2 DIABETES IN WISTAR RATS

High fat diet and High fructose intake is the predominant lifestyle change that increased the epidemic of type-2 diabetes. HFD+HF feeding leads to oxidative stress mediated T2D through production of free radicals and decrement of antioxidant enzymes. Our present study focussed on the curbing effect of gymnemic acid on high fat diet and high fructose feeding induced oxidative stress mediated Type 2 diabetes mellitus. A total of 30 rats, 18 diabetic and 12 normal wistar rats were used for this study. Rats were HFD+HF fed and confirmed diabetic then animals were orally treated with gymemic acid (150 mg/kg body weight) daily for 30 days. Gymnemic acid supplementation effectively lowered the blood glucose and lipid levels expect HDL in HFD and HF fed diabetic rats. Free radical scavenging ability of gymnemic acid lead to the decrement of free radicals and thereby preventing macromolecular damage. Islets possess significantly lesser antioxidant potential when compared to other tissues and easily susceptible to oxidative stress under T2D condition. GPx a key antioxidant which can quench hydrogen peroxides and lipid peroxides play a crucial role in islet redox balance. Under diabetic condition GPx levels are significantly lowered. So an agent which boosts the antioxidant milieu can counter the oxidative assault effectively under pathologic condition. Gymnemic acid, an active component from the leaves of Gymnema sylvestre possess such boosting capacity not only at the activity level but also at the protein level. However further experimental investigation is needed to exploit its mechanism of action in increasing GPx expression is needed to substantiate its ethnomedicinal usage.