Protective effect of tannins from Ficus racemosa in hypercholesterolemia and diabetes induced vascular tissue damage in rats.

Objective: To evaluate the protective effect of tannins from Ficus racemosa (F. racemosa) on the lipid profile and antioxidant parameters in high fat meal and streptozotocin induced hypercholesteremia associated diabetes model in rats.

Methods: The crude tannin fraction was separated from the acetone (70% v/v) bark extract of F. racemosa. Oral administration of tannin fraction (TF) (100 & 200 mg/kg body weight) to rats fed with high fat meal for 30 days (4% cholesterol, 1% cholic acid, 0.5% egg albumin) and injected with streptozotocin (35 mg/kg i.p. in citrate buffer on 14th day).

Results: The administration of TF significantly reverse the increased blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein and also significantly restored the insulin and high density lipoprotein in the serum. In addition tannins significantly restored the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and decreased the, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione, thereby restoring the antioxidant status of the organs to almost normal levels.

Conclusions: The results of this study show that two different doses of tannin supplementation had a favorable effect on plasma glucose and lipid profile concentrations. It also had an influence on attenuating oxidative stress in diabetic tats.