Therapeutic insights of hydromehtanolic leaf extract of Xanthium indi-cum and α-tocopherol in streptozotocin induced diabetic renal oxidative stress

Abstract

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the important microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus. Several phytochemicals have been reported to show beneficial consequences in Xanthium indicum leaves and α-tocopherol is a well known antioxidant, putting a halt to the fatality of renal dysfunc-tions in DN. In the current study, seven groups of male albino rats six in each group, received the following treatment scheduled for 4 weeks: Normal control, Xanthium indicum, α-tocopherol, Diabetes control, Glibenclamaide treated diabetic, α-tocopherol treated diabetic and Xanthium treated diabetic. Evaluations were made for blood glucose levels, body weights, serum insulin levels, MDA content, creatintne in urine as well as in serum and the histopathological changes were monitored kidney tissues in all experimental rats. Blood glucose levels were significantly (***P<0.001) decreased whereas serum insulin levels and body weights were significantly (***P< 0.001) in-creased, MDA content, serum creatinine levels were significantly (***P< 0.01), (***P<0.001), decreased and urine creatinine levels were increased with the treatment of plant extract and α-tocopherol in diabetic rats. Overall, the findings of this study indicated that the hydromethanolic extract of X. indicum leaves and α-tocopherol possesses a potent capacity that attenuates the renal damage to minimize the deleterious effects of free radicals by maintaining renal hemodynamics in diabetic conditions probably through its antioxidative and hypoglycaemic activity.