Abstract
Trigonella foenum graecum (fenugreek) is one of the best herbs known for its anti diabetic properties. This study was designed to compare the effects of the carbon tetrachloride extract of fenugreek with those of insulin on liver glyco-gen. Materials and Methods: Diabetes was induced by stereptozotocin in three groups of male Wis-tar rats. One group served as control (non-treated); in the second group NPH insulin was administered, and the last group received the carbon tetrachloride extract of fenugreek (4 g/kg) orally. Plasma glucose was measured before and after intervention. Water intake was measured daily and liver glycogen was determined at the end of the treatment. Results: The results showed that fenugreek ex-tract, like insulin, causes a significant decrease in plasma glucose and daily water intake (P<0.05). A significant increase was seen in liver glycogen of the groups treated with insulin (57±5 mg /g of wet weight) and the extract (54±3 mg/g of wet weight) compared to the control group (17±3). Conclusions: In conclusion, the results of this study confirm the efficacy of the traditional use of fenugreek for diabetes treatment, and provide further insight into the formulation of carbon tetrachloride extract of fenugreek as an oral hy-poglycemic agent in treatment of insulin de-pendent diabetic patients.
Keywords
Trigonella foenum graecum seeds Diabetes Carbon tetrachloride extract Rat
Full Text
Full text is available in PDF