title: Effects of the aqueous extract of white tea (Camellia sinensis) in a streptozotocin-induced diabetes model of rats.
abstract: White tea (WT) is very similar to green tea (GT) but it is exceptionally prepared only from the buds and young tea leaves of Camelia sinensis plant while GT is prepared from the matured tea leaves. The present study was investigated to examine the effects of a 0.5% aqueous extract of WT in a streptozotocin-induced diabetes model of rats. Six-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups of 6 animals in each group namely: normal control (NC), diabetic control (DBC) and diabetic white tea (DWT). Diabetes was induced by an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (65 mg/kg BW) in DBC and DWT groups except the NC group. After 4 weeks feeding of 0.5% aqueous extracts of WT, the drink intake was significantly (P<0.05) increased in the DWT group compared to the DBC and NC groups. Blood glucose concentrations were significantly decreased and glucose tolerance ability was significantly improved in the DWT group compared to the DBC group. Liver weight and liver glycogen were significantly increased and serum total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol were significantly decreased in the DWT group compared to the DBC group. The food intake, body weight gain, serum insulin and fructosamine concentrations were not influenced by the consumption of WT. Data of this study suggest that the 0.5% aqueous extract of WT is effective to reduce most of the diabetes associated abnormalities in a steptozotocin-induced diabetes model of rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, School of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), Durban 4000, South Africa. sislam1974@yahoo.com,
authors.forename: Md Shahidul
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Islam
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D028241:Camellia sinensis / Q000737:chemistry*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004326:Drinking / Q000187:drug effects; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D019270:Fructosamine / Q000097:blood; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008112:Liver Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D059808:Polyphenols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013662:Tea; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D008055:Lipids; D008112:Liver Glycogen; D010936:Plant Extracts; D059808:Polyphenols; D013662:Tea; D019270:Fructosamine