Title : Antidiabetic effect of fresh watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) juice extract in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats
Abstract:
The present study investigated the antidiabetic potential of fresh watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) juice in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Twenty-four male Wistar rats (180–200 g) were divided into four groups: normal control, diabetic control, diabetic + watermelon juice (10 mL/kg BW/day), and diabetic + glibenclamide (5 mg/kg BW/day). Diabetes was induced via a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (50 mg/kg BW). Treatments were administered orally for 28 days. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), serum insulin, lipid profile, oxidative stress biomarkers (superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [CAT], glutathione peroxidase [GPx], malondialdehyde [MDA]), and pancreatic histopathology were evaluated. Watermelon juice significantly reduced FBG (p < 0.05), improved glucose tolerance, increased serum insulin levels, restored antioxidant enzyme activity, reduced MDA levels, and improved lipid profiles compared to diabetic controls. Histopathology revealed preservation of pancreatic islets in juice-treated rats. These results suggest that fresh watermelon juice exerts antihyperglycemic and antioxidant effects in STZ-induced diabetic rats, likely through β-cell protection and oxidative stress mitigation.
Keywords: Antidiabetic, Citrullus lanatus, oxidative stress, streptozotocin, watermelon and Wister rat
