Abstract

Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a constant and illimitable metabolic disorder that can happen even at a young age due to the virtual absence of naturally acting insulin, which uptakes and accumulates glucose; thereby reducing the use of glucose. In the present study, we evaluated the neuroprotective efficacy of andrographolide on Streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic Sprague dawley rats.

Method: Diabetes was induced by intraperitonial injection of STZ (45 mg/kg B.W) in Sprague dawley rats. Andrographolide (2.5 mg/kg B.W) was administered orally to diabetic rats and Glibenclamide (25mg/kg B.W) as control for 30 days to assess its effects on blood glucose, insulin, insulin resistance and antioxidant profiles such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, reduced glutathione and lipid peroxidation in various regions of brain namely hypothalamus, cerebellum, hippocampus and brain cerebral cortex.

Result: Oral supplementation of andrographolide extensively diminished the blood glucose levels than diabetic control. There was noteworthy reduction in the CAT, SOD and GPx activities in the hippocampus, hypothalamus and cerebral cortex cerebellum of the DM rat brain. However, andrographolide supplementation drastically reverses the CAT, GPx and SOD back to normal levels.

Conclusion: The results revealed that andrographolide has shown beneficial potentiality against neuropathy in STZ induced diabetic rats.

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, andrographolide, streptozotocin, neuropathy, antioxidant activity, hyperglycaemia.

Graphical Abstract