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Effect of Galega officinalis leaf powder and Trigonella foenum-graecum seed powder on blood glucose levels and weight gain in a diabetes mellitus rat model

Comparative Clinical Pathology volume 24, pages 145–148 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

Blood glucose levels and body weight were assessed to show the biological effects of Trigonella foenum-graecum and Galega officinalis in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Seventy adult female rats were allocated randomly into seven equal independent groups, negative control (n = 10, neither diabetes mellitus (DM) induction nor treatment) and positive control (n = 10, DM induction with streptozotocin (STZ) but no treatment), and the remaining 50 were divided into five equal groups of ten per group, T. foenum-graecum or G. officinalis solutions (1.5 or 3 g/kg) and metformin. Diabetes mellitus was induced by intraperitoneal injection of a single dose of streptozotocin. Blood samples were obtained by tail cut at two time points, 4 days after DM induction and at the end on day 30, and analysed for glucose content, and body weight was recorded on days 0, 4 and 30. Our findings demonstrated that T. foenum-graecum seeds are more potent than G. officinalis leaves with regards to hypoglycaemic properties, but body weight-reducing properties were similar between these two plant species. These results indicated that these two plant species can be used as a herbal treatment for DM and weight gain.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to all the staff at the Laboratory Animal Centre of Medical University of Shiraz for their interest and enthusiasm in this research. The authors also acknowledge Miss Zahra Almasi and Mr. Omid Koohi for their help with the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fars Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran

    Seyedeh Sahar Shojaee

  2. Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Isfahan University, Isfahan, Iran

    Akbar Vahdati

  3. Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khoramabad, Iran

    Raheleh Assaei

  4. Department of Biochemistry, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, P.O. Box: 71345-1731, Shiraz, Iran

    Masood Sepehrimanesh

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  1. Seyedeh Sahar Shojaee
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  2. Akbar Vahdati
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  3. Raheleh Assaei
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  4. Masood Sepehrimanesh
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Correspondence to Masood Sepehrimanesh.

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Shojaee, S.S., Vahdati, A., Assaei, R. et al. Effect of Galega officinalis leaf powder and Trigonella foenum-graecum seed powder on blood glucose levels and weight gain in a diabetes mellitus rat model. Comp Clin Pathol 24, 145–148 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-013-1873-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00580-013-1873-7

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