title: Experimental diabetes treated with ficus carica extract: effect on oxidative stress parameters.
abstract: Parameters related to oxidative stress were studied in rats divided into 4 groups: streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats (n=10), diabetic rats who received a single dose of a basic fraction of Ficus carica extract (n=14), diabetic rats who received a single dose of a chloroform fraction of the extract (n=10), and normal rats (n=10). Compared to normal animals, the diabetic animals presented significantly higher values for erythrocyte catalase normalized to haemoglobin levels (1.5+/-0.15 vs. 0.96+/-0.18 microg/mg) and for plasma vitamin E (73.4+/-43.9 vs. 12.0+/-1.6 mg/l), monounsaturated fatty acids (0.219+/-0.118 vs. 0.067+/-0.014 mg/ml), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA, 0.567+/-0.293 vs. 0.175+/-0.040 mg/ml), saturated fatty acids (0.779+/-0.262 vs. 0.401+/-0.055 mg/ml), and linoleic acid (0.202+/-0.086 vs. 0.106 +/-0.014 mg/ml). Both Ficus carica fractions tended to normalize the values of the diabetic animals' fatty acids and plasma vitamin E values. On studying the ratios of vitamins E and A to PUFA (129.4+/-77.5 diabetic and 68.8+/-9.1 microg/mg normal; 37.5+/-20.8 vs. 108.0+/-43.6 microg/mg) and to C18:2 (259.9+/-65.8 vs. 161.0+/-21.3 microg/mg; 68.3+/-37.9 vs. 252.7+/-102.1 microg/mg), we found statistically significant differences as a function of diabetes, with the vitamin E/C18:2 ratio being normalized by the administration of the chloroform fraction (to 152.1+/-80.3 microg/mg) and the vitamin A/C18:2 ratio being raised relative to the untreated diabetic rats by the administration of the basic fraction (91.9+/-14.5 microg/mg). Our work confirms that antioxidant status is affected in the diabetes syndrome, and that Ficus carica extracts tend to normalize it.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Extremadura, Avenida de Elvas s/n 06071 Badajoz, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pèrez
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Canal
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002374:Catalase / Q000097:blood; D002725:Chloroform; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D030681:Ficus / Q000737:chemistry*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014801:Vitamin A; D014810:Vitamin E; D002725:Chloroform; D002374:Catalase