Ameliorative effect of borneol, a natural bicyclic monoterpene against hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats

Diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem worldwide. Oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of diabetes as it is one of the inevitable outcomes of the cellular process. The present study aims to investigate the putative antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic and antioxidant efficacy of a monoterpene borneol, in comparison with glibenclamide, a standard drug for therapy of diabetes. Diabetes was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of 40 mg/kg body weight. The results of the present study showed a significant increase in the biochemical indices viz., fasting blood glucose concentration, glycated hemoglobin, urea, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, malondialdehyde concentration, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and atherogenic index, with a significant decrease in body weight, plasma insulin, HOMA-beta-cell functioning index, glycogen, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and antioxidant enzyme activities, viz., superoxide dismutase, catalase and reduced glutathione in diabetic rats when compared to controls. In addition, histology of the normal architecture of pancreas was affected in diabetic rats when compared to controls. The results for the first time reveal that oral administration of borneol for twenty eight days significantly attenuated the above mentioned alterations near to controls. Therefore, it is suggested that borneol could be a potential therapeutic antidiabetic molecule of biological relevance.