Pre-treatment of Syndrex® protects mice from becoming diabetic after streptozotocin injection

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia due to either insufficiency of insulin or inability of cells to respond to insulin. Many clinical and experimental evidence have suggested the strong association between hyperglycemia, oxidative stress and diabetic complications. Therefore, the antidiabetic drugs with antioxidant potential would have a higher therapeutic value. To check its antidiabetic and antioxidant properties in vivo, experiments were done wherein mice were fed with Syndrex^® in different schedules and/or made diabetic by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Animals fed with Syndrex^® prior to the induction of diabetes by streptozotocin injection showed resistance to an increase in blood glucose levels. This treatment increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes namely, catalase, glutathione reductase and superoxide dismutase and reduced serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels as compared to those found in uncontrolled diabetic mice. Among the three different schedules used for Syndrex^® treatment, the best effect was seen in the case of mice pretreated with Syndrex^® prior to STZ injection. In our opinion, Syndrex^® given along with insulin may reduce the amount of insulin dose required and because of its strong antioxidant activity would certainly help to reduce the development of diabetic complications.