The Effect of Echium amoenum Hydro-Alcoholic Extract on Blood Glucose level, Lipid Profile and Lipoproteins in Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Male Rats

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most important metabolic disorders worldwide. So far, numerous medicinal plants have been used to treat diabetes mellitus. Echium amoenum L. (EA) is one of the important medicinal herbs in Iranian traditional medicine. In the present study, the effects of EA hydroalcoholic extract on blood glucose, lipid profile and lipoproteins were studied in diabetic male rats. In this study, 30 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups with six rats in each: normal control; diabetic control; and diabetic rats treated with hydroalcoholic extract of EA (100, 400 and 600 mg/kg). Diabetes was induced in the rats by administrating a single dose of streptozotocine (60 mg/kg, ip). Injection of extract was done intraperitoneally for 30 days. Finally, blood samples were taken and the concentration of glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, HDL-C and LDL-C in the serum was measured. Treatment of diabetic rats with EA extract (400 and 600 mg/kg) for 30 days significantly decreased glucose serum levels (P< 0.01). After EA extract administration, cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL-C levels decreased in all doses of EA extract in a dose dependent manner and this reduction reached statistical significance in the 400 and 600 mg/kg group in comparison to the diabetic control group (P< 0.01). Also, HDL level significantly increased compared to the diabetic control group (P< 0.01). This study indicates that hydroalcoholic extract of EA has hypoglycemic effect on diabetic rats and leads to valuable changes in blood lipid profiles as well as lipoprotein levels.