DIETARY POLYPHENOL COMBINATION POTENTIATES ANTIHYPERGLYCEMIC EFFECT OF GLIMEPIRIDE IN EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED DIABETES IN RATS

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality all over the
world. The application of a traditional system of medicine in the treatment of DM is having a
boom in recent years. The use of phytochemicals like quercetin, resveratrol, gallocatechin, rutin,
gallic acid, and genestin has a beneficial effect in the management of the severity of DM and
related complications and the combined effect of these phytochemicals is need to be evaluated.
In present research antidiabetic activity of quercetin (Q) and resveratrol (R) alone and in
combination were tested in the presence and absence of modern antidiabetic agents on the
alloxan-induced DM and associated complications. Alloxan monohydrated (120 mg/kg, i. p.)
being used as an inducer for DM in experimental animals and treatment of quercetin (50 mg/kg,
p.o.) and resveratrol (50 mg/kg, p.o.) alone and combination (1:1) was given for 21 days;
glimepiride (0.09 mg/kg, p.o.) was used as standard antidiabetic agents for the present research.
Biochemical parameters such as plasma glucose, serum lipid profile, creatinine, total protein, and
albumin; liver glycogen content, and morphological parameters such as body weight were
evaluated. Plasma glucose was evaluated on days 0, 7, 14, and day 21, and other biochemical and
morphological parameters were measured at the start and the end of treatment respectively.
Treatment with quercetin (Q) and resveratrol (R) alone and in combination showed a significant
reduction in the levels elevated levels of plasma glucose, dyslipidemia, altered kidney parameters
with improvement in the body weight and glycogen content in the liver. Whereas; resveratrol-
quercetin (RQ) in combination with glimepiride depicted a significant (p<0.001) decline in
plasma glucose, dyslipidemia, altered kidney function, and improvement in body weight and
liver glycogen content when compared with untreated diabetic animals.Phytoconstituents such as
quercetin and resveratrol possess prominent antidiabetic activity owing to their antidiabetic
mechanism of glucose utilization and insulin secretagogue-like activity. The combination of
quercetin and resveratrol was highly beneficial as a supportive treatment for diabetes and
associated complication.
Keywords: Diabetes, Plasma glucose, Quercetin, Resveratrol