Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Laboratory Sciences, Bab.C., Islamic Azad University, Babol, Iran
2
Department of Biology, Bab.C., Islamic Azad University, Babol, Iran
3
Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
4
Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, New Health Technologies Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: Allium ursinum (A. ursinum) is a medicinal plant recognized for its wide range of therapeutic properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antidiabetic activities. Nevertheless, the precise metabolic mechanisms underlying antidiabetic effects remain insufficiently understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the hypoglycemic effects of A. ursinum hydro-methanolic extract and characterize the associated metabolic changes in diabetic Balb/C mice.
Materials and Methods: Hydro-methanolic extract of A. ursinum was prepared, and then its polar and volatile constituents were identified using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, respectively. Forty mice were allocated into control groups (healthy, diabetic + solvent, and diabetic + metformin) and experimental groups receiving different doses of A. ursinum extract. Treatments were administered for 21 consecutive days, after which blood glucose levels were assessed, and the effective doses (ED50 and ED90) were calculated. To assess metabolic changes associated with the hypoglycemic effects, serum samples were analyzed using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR)-based metabolomics. Hepatic and renal toxicity were evaluated by enzymatic assay and histopathological examinations.
Results: The administration of A. ursinum at tested doses led to a significant decrease in blood glucose levels in diabetic mice (160 mg/kg). These hypoglycemic effects were accompanied by notable changes in the serum metabolic profile, affecting pathways such as ketone body synthesis and degradation, D-glutamate metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, arginine biosynthesis, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Importantly, no evidence of liver or kidney toxicity was observed at the higher dose (ED90 = 141 mg/kg).
Conclusions: This study showed that A. ursinum has antidiabetic effects and highlighted the role of metabolite changes in diabetes pathophysiology. Hence, the glucose-lowering metabolites identified could be potential targets for the development of future antidiabetic treatments.
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