Antidiabetic and hypolipidemic activities of Algerian Pistachia lentiscus L. leaves extract in alloxan-induced diabetic rats

• Oral administration of Pistachia lentiscus L. extract to alloxan-induced diabetic rats caused a significant reduction of glycemia.
• Diabetic rats treated with P. lentiscus L. extract exhibited a highly significant increase of plasma insulin level which is similar to that obtained with glibenclamid.
• The treatment with P. lentiscus L. extract significantly decreased and brought back the levels of serum lipids to normal values.
• The hypoglycemic action of P. lentiscus L. may be mediated by more than one biological mechanism including improvement of insulin secretion and lipid profile, as well as inhibition of carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes and enhancement of glucose transport across the cell membrane.

AimThe current study was designed to investigate the antidiabetic and hypolipidemic properties of the 80% methanolic leaves extract of Pistachia lentiscus L., a medicinal plant commonly used in Algerian folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes.MethodsWe evaluated the effects of P. lentiscus L. leaves extract on blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and insulin levels in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The effects of the extract on α-amylase, sucrase and glucose uptake by yeast cells in vitro were also evaluated. For qualitative determination of biologically active compounds, RP-HPLC analysis of the extract was carried out.ResultsP. lentiscus L. extract exhibited a significant decrease in blood glucose as well as cholesterol and triglyceride levels and caused a significant increase in plasma insulin. In addition, it significantly increased glucose uptake in yeast cells and inhibited α-amylase and sucrase activities.ConclusionBased on its strong antidiabetic activity, P. lentiscus L. extract appears to be a potential herb for the treatment of diabetes and can be further explored for isolating the active component(s).