The Antioxidant Potential and Antihyperlipidemic Activity of Myristica fragrans Seed (Nutmeg) Extract in Diabetic Rats

The present study aimed to assess the phenolic content and in-vitro antioxidant capacity of the petroleum ether extract of nutmeg, as well as its antioxidant and antihyperlipidemic activities in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

Forty-eight male rats were allocated into six groups of eight each: non-diabetic control, diabetic control, and diabetic rats receiving 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg of the nutmeg petroleum ether extract or 100 mg/kg metformin. The in vitro antioxidant activity of the extract was determined using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. Total phenolic and flavonoid contents were estimated using Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride colorimetric methods, respectively.

The nutmeg extract contained considerable levels of phenols (112.41 mg GAE/100 g) and flavonoids (26.12 mg QE/100 g) and showed a remarkable scavenging effect on the DPPH radicals with the IC50 value of 123.36 𝜇g/ml. The administration of the nutmeg extract (100 and 200 mg/kg) to the diabetic rats caused a significant reduction in the serum levels of malondialdehyde, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein, while a significant increase was observed in the total antioxidant capacity and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol serum levels.

According to the results, nutmeg extract is an abundant source of natural antioxidants, which might have beneficial effects on patients with diabetes mellitus develop educational packages.