EFFECTS OF TRIGONELLA FOENUM GRAECUM ON THE LEUKOCYTES IN DIABETES MICE

Abstract

Immunological disorders is among the most frequent and serious complications of diabetes mellitus An inflammatory response is usually accompanied by increasing leukocyte activation. Numerous medicinal plants have been used for the management of diabetes mellitus in various traditional systems of medicine worldwide as they are a great source of biological constituents and many of them are known to be effective against diabetes. Trigonella foenum-graecum Linn. (Leguminosae) commonly known as fenugreek, is an annual herb, widely grown in India, Egypt, and Middle Eastern countries. It has been extensively used as a source of antidiabetic compound, from its seeds and leaves. The aim of this study was to investigate anti-inflammatory effects of fenugreek on streptozotocin - induced diabetic mice.
The animals were divided into four groups. Group I – control (C); Group II – diabetic untreated (DM); Group III –was administered purified from fenugreek (T. foenum-graecum) seeds (GII) in dose 100 mg.kg-1 body weight/day for 15 days (GII), and Group IV – diabetic treated with fenungreek (D+GII). Thirty minutes after the last injection animals were anaesthetized and decapitated. The blood samples were collected from the carotid artery. Were measured in blood lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils and eosinophils in stained blood films.
The changes in analyzed parameters observed in the diabetes animals were also found to be significantly restored in fenugreek treated mice. The results demonstrated that extract of Trigonella foenum-graecum could be a potential herbal medicine in treating diabetes.