Effects of chronic administration of cyanidin-3-glucoside on serum glucose and lipids in an experimental model of streptozotocin-diabetic rats

Introduction: Reduction of serum glucose and lipids in diabetic patients using medicinal plants and their effective substances is clinically very important. Given the anti-diabetic potential of cyanidin-3-glucoside in type II diabetes, this study was designed to investigate the effect of chronic administration of cyanidin-3-glucoside on serum glucose and lipids in experimental streptozotocin (STZ) model of diabetes mellitus in rats. Materials and Methods: Diabetes was induced by STZ at a dose of 60mg/kg (i.p) in the adult male rats. Systemic administration of cyanidin-3-glucoside (10 mg/kg) was started one week after induction of diabetes and lasted for two months. The corresponding control groups received appropriate treatments. Serum glucose and lipids levels were measured before and at 4th and 8th weeks after diabetes induction. Results: There was significant increases in serum glucose levels in the diabetic rats at 4th and 8th weeks as compared to the before of diabetes induction (p<0.001). Cyanidin-3-glucoside treatment induced a significant moderate reduction in the serum glucose levels diabetic rats as compared to nontreated diabetic rats (p<0.005). Levels of blood serum glyceride in the diabetic group were significantly increased at 4th and 8th weeks after induction of diabetes (p<0.01), but cyanidin-3-glucoside treatment did not have an effect on serum triglyceride levels in the diabetic group as compared with the non-treated diabetic group. Total levels of blood serum cholesterol were significantly increased (p<0.05) at 8th week in the diabetic rats which was not affected by cyanidin-3-glucoside treatment. Finally, there was also a significant increase in HDL-cholesterol and a significant decline in LDL-cholesterol levels in the treated diabetic group relative to the non-treated diabetics group (both, p<0.05). Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that chronic administration of cyanidin-3-glucoside in experimental model of diabetic mellitus has a moderate anti-hyperglycemic effect and leads to desirable and useful changes in serum HDL- and LDL-cholesterol without any influence on total serum cholesterol and triglyceride