Prophylactic mechanisms of Cucumis melo var. flexuosus and Phoenix dactylifera fruit extracts against diabetic cardiomyopathy in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

The aim of this investigation was to study the antidiabetic impact of Cucumis melo var. flexuosus and/or Phoenix dactylifera fruit aqueous extracts and their mechanisms in repressing diabetes induced cardio-myopathy in diabetic rats. Type 2 diabetes was promoted in rats by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (30mg/kg body wight). C. flexuosus and P. dactylifera extracts (200mg/kg body weight, each) were ingested to diabetic rats daily for a month. The results showed that ingestion of either plant extract or their combination to diabetic rats significantly diminished the glucose level and boosted the insulin concentration in the blood. The plant extracts markedly ameliorated the serum inflammatory molecules, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) and C-reactive protein (CRP), as well as the alteration in the cardiac malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). The extracts attenuated the increase in cardiac apoptosis enzyme (caspase-3) and the oxidative DNA fragmentation. Treating diabetic rats with plant extracts also scaled down the serum cardiac function enzyme, creatine phosphokinase-MB (CPK-MB). The biochemical results were confirmed by histopathological examination. This study has proven that both the plant extracts particularly their combination have potential hypoglycemic effect and could attenuate cardiomyopathy in diabetic rats.