Anti-diabetic effects of Cichorium intybus in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

The present study was designed to investigate the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic properties of an ethanolic extract of Cichorium intybus (CIE) which is widely used in India as a traditional treatment for diabetes mellitus. Male Sprague–Dawley rats aged 9 weeks (160–200 g) were administered with streptozotocin (STZ, 50 mg/kg) intraperitoneally to induce experimental diabetes. The Cichorium intybus whole plant was exhaustively extracted with 80% ethanol, concentrated at 40 °C using a rotavapor and freeze dried to get powder. Hypoglycemic effects of CIE were observed in an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in which, a dose of 125 mg of plant extract/kg body weight exhibited the most potent hypoglycemic effect. Moreover, daily administration of CIE (125 mg/kg) for 14 days to diabetic rats attenuated serum glucose by 20%, triglycerides by 91% and total cholesterol by 16%. However, there was no change in serum insulin levels, which ruled out the possibility that CIE induces insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells. In addition, hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase activity (Glc-6-Pase) was markedly reduced by CIE when compared to the control group. The reduction in the hepatic Glc-6-Pase activity could decrease hepatic glucose production, which in turn results in lower concentration of blood glucose in CIE-treated diabetic rats. In conclusion, our results support the traditional belief that Cichorium intybus could ameliorate diabetic state.