Antidiabetic potential of the total flavone glycoside from okra fruit in type 2 diabetic rats

Background: Okra is a commonly consumed healthy vegetable in many countries due to its wide range of pharmacological effects. The present study was designed to investigate in vivo antidiabetic potential of the total flavone glycoside from okra fruit (TFGO) on type 2 diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: TFGO was obtained by column chromatography on 70% ethanol extract of okra fruit, and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis was carried out on its' three main flavone glycosides. In rats, 2000 mg/kg of TFGO did not show any toxicity on the acute toxicity test. Type 2 diabetic rats were induced by streptozotocin (35 mg/kg; i. p.) after fed with high-fat emulsion for 4 weeks. Rats were divided into six groups: normal control group, diabetic control group, metformin control group (100 mg/kg), and three TFGO groups (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg). The antidiabetic potential of TFGO was measured by comparing body weight, food intake, fasting blood glucose (FBG), oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malonaldehyde, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), organ index, and histological section of kidney tissue in rats. Results: The results showed that the administration of TFGO significantly (P < 0.01) decreased the levels of FBG, TG, TC, liver index and increased (P < 0.01) OGTT, SOD levels in diabetic rats compared to diabetic control group rats. Moreover, the lesion of diabetic kidney tissue was recovered obviously. Conclusions: Our findings confirmed that TFGO has significant antidiabetic potential in rats. This study provides a reference point for further investigation and development of TFGO.