title: Garcinia kola seed ameliorates renal, hepatic, and testicular oxidative damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Africa, Garcinia kola Heckel (Guttiferae) seed is commonly recommended in folklore medicine for the treatment of diabetes and its associated complications.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study evaluated this traditional claim by mechanistic investigation into the effect of G. kola seed administration on renal, hepatic, and testicular oxidative damage in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diabetes mellitus was induced in adult male Wistar rats by an intraperitoneal injection of STZ (50 mg/kg). The diabetic rats were thereafter treated orally once per day with G. kola seed (250 mg/kg) and monitored for 14 d. Clinical observations, plasma biochemistry, hormonal profile, oxidative stress indices, sperm characteristics, and histopathological examination of the kidney, liver, and testes were evaluated to monitor treatment-related effects of G. kola seed in STZ-induced diabetic rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Garcinia kola seed administration significantly ameliorated hyperglycemia mediated damage by decreasing the blood glucose level (72.8% and 84.6% on the 7th and 14th post-treatment days, respectively), enhancement of the antioxidant system, inhibition of lipid peroxidation, and improving the architecture of the kidney, liver, and testes in STZ-induced diabetic rats. In addition, G. kola seed intervention restored the kidney and liver function biomarkers, the sperm characteristics as well as the plasma levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone, triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4) to normal in STZ-induced diabetic rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings from this investigation provide persuasive scientific support for the traditional use of G. kola seed in the treatment of diabetes and its associated complications.
authors.affiliation: Drug Metabolism & Toxicology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan , Ibadan , Nigeria.
authors.forename: Isaac A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Adedara
authors.forename: Ifeoluwa O
authors.initials: IO
authors.lastname: Awogbindin
authors.forename: Joy P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Anamelechi
authors.forename: Ebenezer O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Farombi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D029763:Garcinia kola; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012639:Seeds; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Antioxidant; endocrine; folklore medicine; hyperglycemia; lipid peroxidation