title: Fruit of the jambolan tree (Eugenia jambolana Lam.) and experimental diabetes.
abstract: The fruit of Indian Eugenia jambolana have been shown to have therapeutic properties, but because the therapeutic potential of a plant is related to the geographic region in which the plant was grown and to the part of the plant used, we investigated Brazilian Eugenia jambolana fruit using the same preparation and experimental methods as have been used in India. The well-established metabolic cage model was used to evaluate the physiological and metabolic parameters associated with streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats (n=10) which had been administered, by gavage, 50 mg per day of lyophilised Eugenia jambolana fruit-pulp extract for 41 days. We found that, compared to untreated controls, rats treated with the lyophilised fruit-pulp showed no observable difference in body weight, food or water intake, urine volume, glycaemia, urinary urea and glucose, hepatic glycogen, or on serum levels of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol or triglycerides. No change was observed in the masses of epididymal or retroperitoneal adipose tissue or of soleus or extensor digitorum longus muscles. This lack of any apparent effect on the diabetes may be attributable to the regional ecosystem where the fruit was collected and/or to the severity of the induced diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas-UNESP, Rua Expedicionários do Brasil n. 1621, Araraquara-CEP 14801-902, SP, Brazil. pepatomt@fcfar.unesp.br
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Pepato
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Baviera
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Harami
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Vendramini
authors.forename: I L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Brunetti
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004822:Epididymis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D005638:Fruit; D006029:Glycosuria / Q000188:drug therapy; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D013311:Streptozocin; D027842:Syzygium; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D028321:Plant Preparations; D013311:Streptozocin