Fenugreek Seed Extract Stabilize Plasma Lipid Levels in Type 2 Diabetes by Modulating PPARs and GLUT4 in Insulin Target Tissues

Objective: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a multifaceted disorder and the search for suitable drugs based on traditional phytotherapeutic agents continues among researchers worldwide. Fenugreek seed possess established antioxidant, hypoglycemic and lipid lowering properties but its mechanism of action at cellular level remains to be elucidated. The present study was taken up to explore the potential of fenugreek seed extract (FSE) to mediate its protective effects by modulating the expression of PPARγ, PPARα and GLUT4 genes in insulin responsive tissues of HFD fed and T2DM induced rats. Method: Male Sprague Dawley rats in different groups were treated with FSE and their effects on biochemical markers as well as on the mRNA levels of PPARγ in adipose tissue, PPARα in liver and GLUT4 in muscle were assessed. Glibenclamide was used as positive control. Results: HFD fed and T2DM rats showed discrepancy in blood levels of glucose, insulin, HbA1c, lipids and also in tissue levels of PPARγ, PPARα, and GLUT4 mRNA as compared to control animals. On the other hand, FSE treatment improved insulin, glucose and HbA1c levels along with regulated expression of PPAR and GLUT4 genes. Grippingly, these findings indicate the well pronounced protective effect of FSE at 300mg/kg b.w concentration and the effect was comparable to that of glibenclamide. Conclusion: FSE exerted its effects through improvising the expression of PPARs and GLUT4 in insulin target tissues. Thus FSE offers further lead to study its effects by nutrigenomic approach and serves as a source for new antidiabetic and antiobesity drugs.

Author(s): M. Tharaheswari, J. Syam Praveen Kumar, N. Jayachandra Reddy, S. Subhashree, and S. Sudha Rani

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