Antidiabetic and Antihyperlipidemic Effect of Balanites aegyptiaca Seeds (Aqueous Extract) on Diabetic Rats.

Objectives: Type II diabetes mellitus is increasing health problems that negatively affect health care systems worldwide. There is a constant urge to develop new therapies with better effects, lower side effects at lower prices to treat this disease. Therefore, the present study carried out to investigate whether Balanites aegyptiaca (seeds) could treat the hyperglycemic, dislipidemic, liver, and kidney toxicity and the pancreatic damage in diabetic rats. Material and method: fifteen adult male albino rats were divided into two groups; group 1: control group, group 2: alloxan induced diabetic rats that divided into two subgroups; subgroup1: diabetic untreated rats, subgroup2: diabetic treated with aqueous extract of B. aegyptiaca (seeds). After thirty days of treatment, all rats were sacrificed. Blood sample were collected to estimate some hematological and biochemical parameters. Liver samples were collected to determine their glycogen content and pancreatic samples were obtained and processed for microscopic and quantitative evaluation of α, β & δ-cells number. Results: diabetic group recorded reduction in body weight's gained, hyperglycemia, hypoinsulinemia, significant increase in some parameters of liver and kidney functions, dislipidemia, changes in proteins level and decreased liver glycogen content. While, treatment with B. aegyptiaca (seeds) was ameliorated most of the toxic effects of alloxan and showed partially improvement in histological changes produced by alloxan. Conclusion: The aqueous extract of B. aegyptiaca (seeds) has hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic effects, increasing insulin level, and decreasing insulin resistance. Moreover, ameliorate the most complication associated with diabetes mellitus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]