Antioxidant and Antihyperglycemic Effects of Ferula drudeana and Ferula huber-morathii in Experimental Diabetic Rats

In the present study, DPPH radical scavenging assay and ferric-reducing antioxidant assay were used to estimate the potential in vitro antioxidant effect of the methanol extracts of Ferula drudeana Korovin (F. drudeana) and Ferula huber-morathii Pesmen (F. huber-morathii). The antidiabetic activity of both extracts was evaluated in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Glibenclamide was taken as the standard drug. Both extracts showed considerable antioxidant potential in the DPPH radical scavenging assay and minimum reducing power in ferric-reducing antioxidant assay. Oral administration of F. drudeana (400 mg kg(-1)) and F. huber-morathii (200 and 400 mg kg(-1)) extracts to diabetic rats produced a marked reduction in Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG) and elevation in insulin levels after 14 and 28 days of treatment. A meaningful reduction in the concentrations of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), triglycerides (TG), Total Cholesterol (TC), Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) in plasma and elevations in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT) and glutathione (GSH) in liver and pancreas homogenates were observed in diabetic animals medicated with F. drudeana (200 and 400 mg kg(-1)) and F. huber-morathii (400 mg kg(-1)) extracts. Levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), bilirubin, total protein and High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) in plasma and malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver and pancreas homogenates were recovered significantly in F. drudeana and F. huber-morathii-medicated diabetic rats. Besides, biochemical results were supported by histopathological findings. These findings showed the significant antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities of F. drudeana and F. huber-morathii extracts in diabetic rats.