Abstract
Microgreens of Brassica plants have attracted increasing research interest in the management of the prevailing epidemic of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) because of their high nutritional value. This study evaluated the antidiabetic effects of Brassica carinata Microgreens Ethanolic Extract (BMEE) in type-2 diabetic rats. For the normoglycemic assay, rats were divided into five groups and received a single oral dose of 100, 250, and 500 mg/kg of BMEE while the control groups received distilled water and Glibenclamide. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels were determined on a weekly basis for 28 days in diabetic rats after treatment with BMEE at 250 and 500 mg/kg dosage levels. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), serum insulin levels, lipid profile and messenger RNA expression levels of Insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1), Glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2), and Nuclear factor kappa light-chain enhancer of activated B cells (NFKβ) genes were determined. BMEE did not induce hypoglycemic effects in rats with normal blood glucose levels, but induced antidiabetic activities in the experimental type-2 diabetic rats. BMEE lowered FBG levels, increased oral glucose tolerance, increased insulin sensitization, and reduced insulin resistance. Treatment of diabetic rats with BMEE increased lipid metabolism and relatively higher expression levels of IRS-1 and GLUT2 genes, and led to reduced expression levels of NFKβ in the liver. Overall, this study reports that BMEE has potential as a nutraceutical to be utilized in the management of T2DM.