The objective of this study was undertaken to evaluate the protective effect
of Ginger extract either alone or in combination with Rosiglitazone and
Glimepiride on serum Glucose, Triglycerides, Cholesterol ,AST, ALT, γ-GT,
as well as liver Malondialdehyde, Catalase (CAT), Superoxide Dismutase
(SOD), reduced Glutathione (GSH) and lysosomal enzymes ;Acid
phospahtase (ACP), β-D-galactosidase (β-GAL) and N-acetyl-β-Dglucosaminidase
(β-NAG), in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The
animals were divided into seven groups: control normal animals (CN),
control untreated diabetic animals (CD) in which experimental
hyperglycemia were induced by single intraperitoneal injection of
streptozotocin (40mg/kg body mass). The other 5 diabetic groups were
treated orally for 30 days with Rosiglitazone (D/Rosi) (0.8 mg/kg b.w),
Glimepiride (D/Glim) (0.8 mg/kg of b.w), Ginger extract (D/G)(500 mg/kg
of body mass), combination of Glimepiride and Ginger extract (D/Glim+G)
and combination of Rosiglitazone and Ginger (D/Rosi+G) starting 24 hours
after streptozotocin injection. The antioxidant effect of the Ginger extract
was compared with Rosiglitazone and Glimepiride, well-known
hypoglycaemic drugs. The diabetic rats exhibited lowered hepatic GSH
content and CAT, SOD activities associated with elevated levels of hepatic
MDA, liver functions enzymes and lysosomal enzymes as compared with
normal rats. In contrast ginger treatment exerts a therapeutic protective effect
in diabetes by decreasing oxidative stress, liver functions enzymes,
lysosomal enzymes and hepatic damage. Ginger extracts showed an
encouraging hypoglycemic, hypolipaemic, as well as antioxidant properties
and could be considered as a valuable candidate in the reversal of the
complication of diabetes.