Hepatoprotective effect of Opuntia microdasys (Lehm.) Pfeiff flowers against diabetes type II induced in rats

Opuntia sp. has long been used as a folk medicine to treat hepatitis and diabetes in Sicile (Italy). To extract the polyphenols from the flower of Opuntia microdasys Lehm. at post flowring stage and evaluate the antidiabetic activity in vitro and in vivo. The hepatoprotective activity of Opuntia microdasys aqueous flowers extract at post flowering stage (OFP) has been tested for their antidiabetic activity. On fructose-alloxan induced diabete in rat model, evaluating the inhibitory effects of OFP on some carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes, pancreatic α-amylase and intestinal α-glucosidase activities in vitro. The OFP extract showed inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase (IC50 = 0.17 ± 0.012 mg/ml) and α-amylase (IC50 = 2.55 ± 0.41 mg/ml). The inhibitory potential of OFP extract on these enzymes suggests a positive and probable role of this extract in the management and treatment of diabetes mellitus, particularly, for type 2. Oral administration of the OFP at 200 mg/kg to diabetic male rats for 28 days demonstrated a significant protective effect by lowering the levels of glucose (123.21 ± 1.38 mg/dL) and hepatic marker enzymes (AST, ALT, LDH, γ-GT, BT, PAL, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C and TG). OFP attenuated oxidative stress by decreasing the SOD, CAT, GPX activity and the levels of PC and MDA in the liver and restored the histological architecture of the rat liver. OFP has protective effects on the protection of liver, thereby reducing some of the causes of diabetes in experimental animals.