Ficus recemosa bark extract attenuates diabetic complications and oxidative stress in STZ-induced diabetic rats

AbstractContext Ficus recemosa Linn. (Moraceae) has been reported as a natural folk medicine with diverse pathological activities such as antioxidant, antidiabetic, renoprotective and cardioprotective.Objective The present study evaluates the preventive effect of standardised ethanol extract of F. racemosa stem bark (EEFSB) on diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC) and diabetic nephropathy (DN).Materials and methods Animals were rendered diabetic by one time administration of STZ (45 mg kg−1, i.v.) and, after 7 d, diabetic rats were randomised into four groups of eight rats each. EEFSB (200 and 400 mg kg−1) was administered to diabetic rats once daily for 8 weeks. Furthermore, the presence of phytochemicals was evaluated by HPTLC.Results Treatment with EEFSB markedly restores the blood glucose and lipid level (p < 0.001), also reduced creatinine kinase (p < 0.001), lactate dehydrogenase (p < 0.001), C-reactive protein (p < 0.001), creatinine (p < 0.001), blood urea nitrogen (p < 0.001), collagen (p < 0.05) and albu...