“Polyherbal Formulation as A Potential Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes: An Experimental Study in Streptozotocin - Nicotinamide Induced Diabetic in Rats”

Abstract

Aims and objectives: Herbal medicine can serve as a counteraction to reverse the adverse effects of medications. A number of medicinal plants have been used to treat diabetes in traditional times. Herbs such as Camellia sinensis, Cinnamomum verum, Syzygium aromaticum, Curcuma longa, and Elettaria cardamomum have been observed mitigating many issues. The main objective was to see if this polyherbs composite can be an adjuvant therapy for the diabetic or metabolic disorder patient. Materials and Methods: A polyherbal formulation was prepared by combining ethanol extracts of traditional medicinal herbs in a predefined ratio. HPTLC analysis was performed to determine the presence of bioactive constituents. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was induced in male Wistar rats using streptozotocin (STZ, 50 mg/kg, i.p.) with nicotinamide (120 mg/kg, p.o.) administered before and after STZ to mimic T2DM. Following confirmation of hyperglycemia, rats were treated orally with the polyherbal formulation (250 and 500 mg/kg b.w.) and Glibenclamide (0.25 mg/kg) for 21 days. At the end of the treatment, body weight before and after, blood samples, and pancreatic tissue were collected for analysis of serum insulin, GPx, LPO, TNF-α, and IL-6, along with histopathological examination. Results: HPTLC indicating the presence of stable and the most dominant bioactive constituents in the polyherbal extract. The post-treatment body weight was statistically not changed in most groups, with a significant drop in the disease control group (*p<0.05). There was a significant increase in glucose concentration in the diabetic control group compared to the normal glucose level (##p<0.01), and a significant decrease in the level of glucose after administration of test drugs and Glibenclamide (*p<0.05, **p<0.01). The post-test serum insulin decreased in the disease control group (##p<0.01) and increased significantly in the test groups (*p<0.05, **p<0.01). The level of oxidative stress marker GPx was significant only at the high dose only (*p<0.05), and LPO in treatment groups was significantly lower. High levels of inflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha and IL-6 were reported in the disease group (###p<0.001), but significantly lower after administration of the test formulation (*p<0.05, **p<0.01). Pancreatic tissue showed well-organized, significant restoration of pancreatic structure, and islet integrity was observed. Conclusion: The polyherbal formulation showed a substantial antihyperglycemic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effect, especially at higher dosages, and showed therapeutic capabilities akin to that of the standard drug Glibenclamide in streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced diabetic rats.