Cardioprotective effects of Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graceum) seed extract in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

Abstract

Introduction: Inadequate control of diabetes mellitus (DM) leads to considerable cardiovascular implications like diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Cardiomyocyte apoptosis is one of the main mechanisms of DCM pathogenesis associated with hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, inflammation, hyperlipidemia and several other factors. Trigonella foenum-graecum (Fenugreek) has been long used as a traditional medicine and has many therapeutic effects, including anti-diabetic, anti-hyperlipidemia, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. The current study aimed to investigate cardioprotectiveeffects of fenugreek seed on diabetic rats.
Methods: Diabetes was induced in forty-two male rats by injection of streptozotocin (STZ) (60 mg/kg). Diabetic animals were treated with three different doses of fenugreek seed extract (50, 100 and200 mg/kg) or metformin (300 mg/kg) for six weeks by gavage. Nondiabetic rats served as controls.Glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides levels were measured in the blood samples, and oxidative stressmarkers as well as gene expression of ICAM1, Bax and Bcl2 were assessed in the cardiac tissues of theexperimental groups.
Results: Diabetic rats exhibited increased serum glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides levels, elevatedmarkers of oxidative stress thiobarbituric acid–reacting substances (TBARS) levels , total thiol groups(SH), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and enhanced apoptosis cell death (ratioof Bax/Bcl2). Fenugreek seed extract considerably improved metabolism abnormalities, attenuatedoxidative stress and diminished apoptosis index.
Conclusion: Our study suggests that fenugreek seed may protect the cardiac structure in STZ-induceddiabetic rats by attenuating oxidative stress and apoptosis.

Keywords: Diabetes, Fenugreek Seed, Cardiomyopathy, Oxidative Stress, Apoptosis