Abstract
PURPOSE: Chronic hyperglycemia and deficiency of insulin are peculiar features of diabetes mellitus alters glycoprotein levels in various tissues leads to impaired metabolism of glycoproteins which play a major role in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. Boswellia ovalifoliolata is a medicinal plant known for its many medicinal properties including diabetes. In this background our study was aimed to evaluate the effect of aqueous extract of stem bark of Boswellia ovalifoliolata (AESBBO) on antidiabetic and glycoprotein metabolism. METHODS: Diabetes was induced in rats by intraperitoneal administration of streptozotocin at a dose of 50 mg/kg bw. After induction of diabetes rats were treated with AESBBO at dosage of 200 mg/kg for a long term treatment of 40 days. Finally, by the end of study all the rats were dissected blood, liver, and kidney tissue samples were collected to investigate the long term effects of AESBBO on diabetes and glycoprotein metabolism. RESULTS: Treatment with AESBBO significantly reduced the fasting blood glucose levels whereas the levels of insulin and hemoglobin were increased with decreased levels of glycosylated hemoglobin. The long term treatment of AESBBO significantly decreased the levels of plasma, liver and kidney tissue glycoproteins such as fucose, hexose, hexosamine and sialic acid. CONCLUSIONS: This study concludes that the aqueous extract of stem bark of Boswellia ovalifoliolata possesses a protective role on abnormal glycoprotein metabolism in addition to its antihyperglycemic activity.