Effects of aqueous extract of Zingiber officinale on lipid profiles in rat subjected to streptozotocin

Diabetes induces systemic disorders through changes in plasma lipid levels and increasing risk of cardiovascular diseases. In this study, the effects of aqueous extract of Zingiber officinale on the serum levels of lipids was investigated in rats following the induction of diabetes by streptozotocin.
In this experimental study, 42 male Wistar rats were divided in 6 groups of seven as follow: the control, diabetic sham and 4 experimental groups. Diabetic sham received 70 mg/kg streptozotocin once at the beginning of the experiment; the experimental groups 1 and 2 daily received 250 and 500 mg/kg Zingiber aqueous extract respectively; the experimental groups 3 and 4 first received streptozotocin once, and then a daily dose of 250 and 500 mg/kg extract. Oral administration of aqueous extract continued over a period of two months. Then, blood samples were prepared, and used for measurement of serum levels of triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol.
Serum concentration of triglyceride and LDL cholesterol in the diabetic sham compared to the control group showed a significant increase (p Due to its antioxidant properties, aqueous extract of Zingiber can reduce streptozotocin toxicity leading to an improvement in serum lipid profiles of diabetic patients