Yousif A. Elhassaneen^1,, Abeer E. El-Khamisy², Naglaa F. Salem², Enas M. El-Hawary²

Diabetes is a metabolic disease, involving inappropriately elevated blood glucose levels which are called hyperglycemia. Besides that, many other factors play a great role in the pathogenesis of diabetes such as oxidative stress leading to a high risk of complications. The present study was designed to investigate the possible mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of brown algae (Sargassum subrepandum) powder (BAP) for oxidative stress in diabetic rats. Thirty six rats were divided into two main groups, the first group (Group 1, 6 rats) still fed on basal diet (BD) and the second main group (30 rats) was injected with alloxan then classified into five sub groups as follow: group (2), fed on BD as a model control, and groups (3, 4, 5 and 6) fed on BD containing 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10 % BAP, respectively. Treatment of rats with alloxan, model control group, induced a significant (p≤0.01) increasing in serum glucose concentration compared to normal control group. Dietary intervention with BAP ranged 2.5 to 10% in rats for 28 days led to significantly (p≤0.05) decreasing the levels of serum glucose compared to the normal control group, respectively. The rate of decreasing in serum glucose was exhibited a dose- dependent increase with the levels of BAP intervention. The same behavior was recorded for the biomarkers of oxidative stress levels in plasma including malonaldehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). On contrary, significant (P≤0.05) improvement in different antioxidant defense systems in both serum (glutathione fractions) and RBC's (antioxidant enzymes such glutathione peroxidase, GSH-Px, glutathione reductase, GSH-Rd, superoxide dismutase, SOD and catalases, CAT) were recorded. Data of the present study has demonstrated the efficiency of BAP to partially attenuate hyperglycemia and diabetes-associated oxidative stress in diabetic rats. Therefore, we recommended BAP by concentrations up to 10% to be included in our daily diets, drinks and food supplementation.

sargassum subrepandum, blood glucose, liver functions, glutathione fractions, antioxidant enzymes