<i>Zataria multiflora</i> essential oil reduces diabetic damages in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Abstract

In this study the Zataria multiflora essential oil (EO) was prepared and its anti-diabetic effects were analyzed in the streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. The yield of EO was 3% and carvactol (53%), p-cymene (17%), and thymol (11%) were detected as the main EO components. The antioxidant and nitric oxide scavenging activities were estimated as 650±50 and 54±2 μg ascorbic acid equivalents per ml of EO respectively. The effects of the EO on the certain biochemical markers for pancrease and liver damages were investigated. As observed in this study the level of plasma glucose, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were significantly elevated in STZ-induced diabetic rats but total protein and insulin concentration reduced considerably. On the other hand, orally administration of the Z. multiflora EO was accompanied with a markedly reduction in plasma glucose, ALP, AST, and ALT, and a significant increases of total protein and insulin. The obtained results indicated that Z. multiflora had protective effects in diabetic rats and reduced diabetic damages probably by oxygen and nitrogen radical scavenging.

Key words: Zataria multiflora, diabetes mellitus, insulin, protein, alkaline phosphatase, aminotransferases.