Pharmacological Study on The Effect of Some Natural Products on Streptozotocin Induced Diabetes in Rats

In this study, Cordyceps sinensis (cordy), bitter gourd fruit juice (b.g) and taurine were administrated as pretreatment for 14 days before STZ induction of diabetes in rats. The three natural products were also administrated as a treatment to diabetic rats each alone or in combination and the effects were compared to that of glibenclamide (gliben), a known synthetic oral hypoglycemic drug of sulphonylurea derivatives. Different parameters were recorded after 21 days of STZ injection to the normal rats. These parameters include serum glucose, insulin, fructosamine, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-c), total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) levels, β cell function percent and insulin resistance index. In addition pancreatic malonedialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH) level were also determined. Histopathological examination of pancreas was also performed in various groups.