Hypoglycemic and antioxidant effects of leaf essential oil of Pelargonium graveolens L'Hér. in alloxan induced diabetic rats.
BACKGROUND
Rose-scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L'Hér.), which is used in traditional Tunisian folk medicine for the treatment of hyperglycaemia, is widely known as one of the medicinal herbs with the highest antioxidant activity. The present paper is conducted to test the hypoglycemic and antioxidative activities of the leaf essential oil of P. graveolens.


METHODS
The essential oil P. graveolens was administered daily and orally to the rats at two doses of 75 mg/kg and 150 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) for 30 days. The chemical composition of P. graveolens essential oil, body weight, serum glucose, hepatic glycogen, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), the components of hepatic, and renal and serum antioxidant systems were evaluated. The hypoglycemic effect of rose-scented geranium was compared to that of the known anti-diabetic drug glibenclamide (600 μg/kg b.w.).


RESULTS
After the administration of two doses of essential oil of Pelargonium graveolens L'Hér. together with glibenclamide which is known by its antidiabetic activities and used as reference (600 μg/kg b.w.), for four weeks, the serum glucose significantly decreased and antioxidant perturbations were restored. The hypoglycemic effect of P. graveolens at the dose of 150 mg/kg b.w. was significantly (p < 0.05) more effective than that of glibenclamide. It is through the histological findings in hepatic and renal tissues of diabetic rats that these beneficial effects of geranium oils were confirmed.


CONCLUSIONS
It suggests that administration of essential oil of P. graveolens may be helpful in the prevention of diabetic complications associated with oxidative stress. Our results, therefore, suggest that the rose-scented geranium could be used as a safe alternative antihyperglycemic drug for diabetic patients.
Laboratoire des Bioprocédés Environnementaux, Centre de Biotechnologie de Sfax, Université de Sfax, BP: 1177, 3018 Sfax, Tunisia.
Maher
M
Boukhris
Mohamed
M
Bouaziz
Ines
I
Feki
Hedya
H
Jemai
Abdelfattah
A
El Feki
Sami
S
Sayadi
D000496:Alloxan; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D005905:Glyburide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D031316:Pelargonium / Q000737:chemistry*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism
D000975:Antioxidants; D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D000496:Alloxan; D006003:Glycogen; D002374:Catalase; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005905:Glyburide