Evaluation of the antioxidant effects of resveratrol against hyperglycemia - Induced oxidative stress in Type 2 diabetic rat model

Abstract

Increasing evidence in both experimental and clinical studies suggests that there is a close link between hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and diabetic complication. Resveratrol a polyphenolic compound found in various natural food products has a plethora of health benefits. The aim of the present work is to screen the antioxidant potential of resveratrol in plasma and different tissue extracts from liver, heart and kidney of streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced Type 2 diabetic rats and compares its effects with glyclazide a standard oral antidiabetic drug with antioxidant potential. Fifty male adult albino rats were used in this study divided into 5 groups as follows: normal control, resveratrol control, streptozotocin-nicotinamide diabetic, resveratrol treated diabetic and glyclazide treated diabetic rats. Resveratrol as well as glyclazide were given for 45 day at a daily dose of 5mg/kg.b.wt. The daily oral treatment of resveratrol significantly reduced (P > 0.05) the elevated levels of blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin in the diabetic rats as compared with the untreated ones. Resveratrol treatment also reverted back the elevated levels of malondialdehyde and vitamin E as well as the decreased activities of enzymatic antioxidant (glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and catalase) and the decreased levels of the non enzymatic antioxidant (vitamin C and reduced glutathione) and NO in plasma and tissue extracts from different organs of diabetic rats to near normal values. These results clearly suggest the potential effect of resveratrol as an antioxidant, signified from its free radical scavenging potential which may be accountable to its antihyperglycemic effect in experimentally induced Type-2 diabetes.