Algeria enjoys a diverse climate where plants grow in abundance in coastal, mountainous and Saharans’ regions. These plants are potential natural remedies that can be used in preventative or curative treatment. Medicinal plants in Algeria have never been completely abandoned and people have never stopped using traditional medicine, which contributed to maintaining a living therapeutic tradition, especially for diabetes, despite the spectacular development of modern medicine (
Abo 2008;
Azzi et al., 2012).
Colocynth (
C. clocynthis) has an anti-hyperglycemic effect on rats. Indeed, we have found that administering a single, Intraperitoneal injection containing 20 mg/kg-BW of cucurbitacin’s seeds glycosides (Alloxan) caused diabetes during the first three hours.
Globally, the data show that the both groups of rats, Diabetic and Rendered diabetic, showed significant blood chemistry change as indicated by their higher means than control; these observations were significantly higher in the case of Glucose, Cholesterol, Creatinine and Urea. The average levels were increased in both: (i) Treated diabetic (Glucose group, 5.32±0.38 g/l, p= 7.46 e
-5; Cholesterol, 0.92±0.08 g/l, p= 8.43 e
-4; Creatine 0.01±5.4 e
-4 g/l, p= 7.91 e
-3 and Urea 1.20±0.18 g/l, p= 7.12 e
-5; respectively compared to control, 1.21±0.18, 0.64±0.09, 4.7 e
-3 ±5 e
-4 and 0.45±0.025) and (ii) Rendered diabetic groups (Glucose group, 2.24±0.52 g/l, p= 0.038; Cholesterol group, 0.92±0.08 g/l, p= 0.048, Creatine 0.01±4.5 e
-4 g/l, p= 0.043 and Urea 0.62±0.05 g/l, p= 0.035; compared to control).
The following Fig 1 and 2 summarize blood biochemical plasma parameters levels in control, rendered diabetic and treated diabetic rats’ lot, along with complete intergroup comparison. Besides, blood plasma parameters mean values±Standard deviation is given within error bar charts; all the variables are given in g/l except for total protein and Triglycerides, reported in units/l.
In rendered diabetic rats lots, plasma biochemical parameters taken before and after sacrifice exhibited severe hyperglycemia due to a lack of secreted insulin. This observation is in agreement with (
Venkateswaran and Pari, 2002) and several other recent researchers who confirmed the anti-hyperglycemic effect of the different parts and different excerpts of Colocynth (
C. colocynthis), which were tested on healthy animals or made diabetic by the action of Alloxan or Streptozotocin (STZ).
We quote, as an example, the work of
Dashti (2012), who found a significant decrease of about 12% in blood glucose levels, one week after oral administration of 100 mg/kg-BW of Colocynth seeds to rabbits made diabetic through Alloxan. Even more,
Agarwal V (2012) showed that an oral administration of 200 mg/kg-BW of aqueous ethanolic or chloroform extracts of the roots of
C. colocynthis induced a significant decrease in blood glucose levels in a range oscillating between 34.72% to 58.70%, in Wistar rats made diabetic through Alloxan. Similarly, they reported a decrease in cholesterol and triglyceride levels and a loss in rats body weight.
Thus, for rats made diabetic by Alloxan, fruits and seeds of
C. Colocynthis can have several effects through active constituents that effectively regulate blood glucose levels in diabetic rats and rabbits (glucose homeostasis). These active molecules can exert their effect by potentiating secretion of residual insulin or by increasing cell capacity to maintain glucose: amino acid levels (insulinotropic effect), alkaloids, saponins and glycosides, fixed oil (protective and/or regenerative effect toward the mass of the β-pancreatic cells) (
Abdel-Hassan 2000;
Azzi et al., 2012; Benmehdi 2011;
Sebbagh 2009.
Several studies have shown the nephrotoxicity of Alloxan on animal’s kidneys (nephropathy) (
Almdal 1988;
Ogbeifun et al., 2020; Ørskov 1966). In rendered diabetic rats’ lot, the concentration of urea and creatinine is higher in comparison to the treated diabetic rats’ lot. The rise of the concentration of these two significant markers of renal function is due to renal dysfunction in diabetic rats
(Eidi 2007). Thus, it appears that the experienced therapy causes a decrease in uremia and creatinine, suggesting adequate protection of kidneys.
In the case of proteinemia, total protein level was significantly lowered in the diabetic group (70.23±0.21 g/l, p= 0.008); compared to the control, 79.52±0.84) (Fig 2).
The in-between rendered diabetic and treated diabetic groups comparison showed significant differences for plasma Triglyceride, Lipid, HDL and protein levels (p<0.022, 0.044, 0.037 and 9.87 e
-4). Indeed, mean values were respectively 1.70 and 1.22-fold increased for the couple Triglyceride and lipid and lowered by a factor of -1.25, -1.13 for HDL and Protein compared to the diabetic group. Finally, the latter treated diabetic biochemical indicator mean levels did not fluctuate much when compared to the control group as they all ranged near-control levels (p>0.05 vs. control) (Fig 2).
The total protein profile conforms with protein metabolism who does not show significant changes if there is a short exposition to Alloxan. In this situation, no severe harm is caused to the insulin secretion process (
Biolo 1992). In contrast, if the exposition is prolonged, some of the proteins’ serum leaks into the urine, resulting in their decline (
Hong 2005).
Concerning lipid parameters, there is a very highly significant increase in triglycerides and total lipids of the rendered diseased lot compared to the treated diabetic. In addition, an apparent decrease in total lipids amount was observed on treated batches and this is because of the ability of Colocynth to decrease triglyceride and total cholesterol level (decrease in hyper-cholesterolemia).
Lowering triglyceride levels in diabetic batch inhibits the activity of the lipases (active lipolytic enzyme in the adipocytes), which leads to its Internalization
(Babu et al., 2007; Gaw and Cowan 2004; Rigelsky and Sweet 2002).
Besides, significant HDL increase in the treated diabetic group with comparison to diabetic ones is probably due to the ability of Colocynth to restore insulin secretion by stimulation of the activity of Lecithin Cholesterol Acyl-transferase (LACT) (Enzyme inside the pre-toxicity of Alloxan that causes a highly significant decrease in emerging HDL particles). This enzyme forms the cholesterol esters of pre-HDL from fatty acids and cholesterol free-forming at the end tail of the HDL molecules
(Babu et al., 2007; Marshall 2005).
Finally, several studies have pinpointed the active role of flavonoids, triterpenes and saponins in Colocynth and
Crataegus oxyacantha, which exert an anti-hyper-cholesterolemia role on diabetic rats (
Rigelsky and Sweet 2002).
