Hypoglycemic effect of hawthorn in type II diabetes mellitus rat model

Abstract BACKGROUND Hawthorn is a popular herb in many different traditional medicine systems, including traditional Chinese medicine, where it has long been used for the treatment of hyperglycemia. However, most of its varied biological activities remain unexplored. This study investigated the hypoglycemic effect of hawthorn extracts in type II diabetic ( T2DM ) rat model. A total of 54 rats were randomly divided into six groups: normal control group; type II diabetic model group ( T2DM ; these rats were induced by high‐fat diet and streptozotocin); high, middle and low concentrations of hawthorn treatment ( HT H , HT M and HT L T2DM rats were given hawthorn extract at a dose of 50, 100 and 200 mg kg −1 body weight, respectively); and positive control group (orlistat 40 mg kg −1 body weight). RESULTS Triglyceride and total cholesterol serum levels were lower in the hawthorn extract‐treated groups than in the T2DM control group ( P < 0.01). Furthermore, hawthorn extracts decreased blood glucose level and increased plasma insulin release from pancreas. CONCLUSION Positive effects of hawthorn against streptozotocin‐induced T2DM were demonstrated. This study suggests that hawthorn extract represents a useful agent for the prevention or treatment of T2DM . © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry