Abstract
The study was aimed to examine if oral administration of the aqueous extract of the
whole plant Ocimum sanctum (OS) protects against the development of insulin resistance in fructose fed rats.
Male Wister rats were randomly divided into four groups of eight animals each: group-S
(starch diet), group-F (fructose diet), group-F+OS (fructose diet along with Ocimum sanctum extract at a dose of 200 mg/kg), group-S+OS (starch diet along with Ocimum sanctum). During the experimental period of 60 days body weight, plasma glucose, insulin,
and triglycerides were measured at an interval of 15 days. Insulin sensitivity was
assessed at the end of experimental period by measuring glucose-insulin index, which
is the product of the areas under the curve of glucose and insulin during oral glucose
tolerance test. The nontoxic nature of OS was revealed by unaltered body weight, plasma
glucose, insulin, and triglyceride levels in group-S+OS when compared with group-S.
A significant gain in body weight, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, hypertriglyceridemia,
and insulin resistance were observed in group-F when compared with group-S. OS treatment
prevented the observed fructose induced alterations in group-F+OS. In conclusion,
our results suggests that oral administration of OS aqueous extract could delay the
development of insulin resistance in rats and may be used as an adjuvant therapy for
treating diabetic patients with insulin resistance.
Key words
insulin resistance - fructose diet - hyperglycemia - hyperinsulinemia - hypertriglyceridemia
- oral glucose tolerance test
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Correspondence
Prof. D. Saralakumari
Department of Biochemistry
Sri Krishnadevaraya University
515 003 Anantapur
Andhra Pradesh
India
Telefon: +91/85/54 25 58 79
Fax: +91/85/54 25 58 05
eMail: skumari1@yahoo.co.in
