title: Antihyperglycemic effect of biochanin A, a soy isoflavone, on streptozotocin-diabetic rats.
abstract: The study was designed to investigate the antihyperglycemic effect of biochanin A on streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced in adult male albino rats of the Wistar strain, weighing 180-200 g, by administration of streptozotocin (40 mg/kg of body weight) intraperitoneally. Diabetic rats showed increase in plasma glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin and a decrease in plasma insulin and hemoglobin. Activities of gluconeogenic enzymes such as glucose 6-phosphatase, fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase increased and glucokinase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase decreased in the liver of diabetic rats along with glycogen. Oral administration of biochanin A (10mg/kg body weight) or glibenclamide (600 μg/kg body weight) in 0.5% dimethyl sulfoxide, for 45 days, prevented the above changes and improved towards normality. In addition, protection against body weight loss of diabetic animals by biochanin A was also observed. No significant effect was observed in normal rats treated with biochanin A (10mg/kg bodyweight). These results showed that biochanin A has potential antihyperglycemic activity at a dose of 10mg/kg bodyweight in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, Tamilnadu, India.
authors.forename: Ranganathan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Harini
authors.forename: Muthukrishnan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ezhumalai
authors.forename: Kodukkur Viswanathan
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Pugalendi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019833:Genistein / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005943:Gluconeogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D013025:Glycine max / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D019833:Genistein; C004541:biochanin A