Abstract

NEUROPROTECTIVE EFFECT OF PIMPINELLA TIRUPATIENSIS TUBEROUS ROOT AQUEOUS EXTRACT ON BRAIN ANTIOXIDANT STATUS IN STZ-INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

D. Veera Nagendra Kumar, K.R. Shanmugam, Ch. Ramakrishna, G. Narasimhulu, T. Lavanya, S. Rajeswara Reddy, K. Sathyavelu Reddy

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective effect of Pimpinella tirupatiensis tuberous root aqueous extract (Pt.Aq.e) against diabetes induced neuropathy in rats. Diabetes was induced in Wistar rats with a single intraperitonial injection of STZ (40 mg/kg). Pt.Aq.e (750 mg/kg/b.w./day) and glibenclamide (GLB) (20 mg/kg/b.w./day) were administrated orally for 30 days. After 30 days the antioxidant enzymes and MDA conent was measured in diabetic and control groups. A marked decrease in antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione (GSH) content and increase in Malondialdehyde (MDA) was observed in the diabetic rats. After treatment with Pimpinella tirupatiensis tuberous root aqueous extract increased activities of antioxidant enzymes in diabetic rats. Moreover, Pimpinella tirupatiensis tuberous root aqueous extract administration decreased the MDA content, which was earlier increased in the diabetic rats. These results suggest that Pimpinella tirupatiensis exhibit a neuroprotective effect by accelerating brain antioxidant defense mechanisms and down regulating the MDA content to the normal levels in the diabetic rats. Thus, Pimpinella tirupatiensis eliminated the free radical toxicity in diabetic rats.

Keywords: Diabetes, Pimpinella tirupatiensis, Antioxidant enzymes, glibenclamide.