Shahin Alizadeh-Fanalou
1 
, Ali Nazarizadeh
1,2 , Mohammad Babaei
3 , Mohsen Khosravi
4 , Navid Farahmandian
1, Elham Bahreini
1* 1 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Clinical Pathology and Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
3 Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
4 Department of Medicine, Qom Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qom, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: Seeds of Securigera securidaca (L.) Degen & Dorfl are rich in flavonoids and phenolic acids which have potent biological effects. The current study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of hydroalcoholic extract of S. securidaca seeds (HESS) alone, and in combination with a standard drug, glibenclamide (GB) on paraoxonase1 (PON1) activity, lipid profile and peroxidation, and cardiovascular risk indices in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats.
Methods: Forty-eight male Wistar rats were randomly divided into eight equal groups and orally treated with various doses of HESS (100, 200, 400 mg/kg) alone and in combination with GB (5 mg/kg) for 35 consecutive days. After blood sampling, lipid profile including triglyceride (TG), cholesterol, high, low and very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C, LDL-C, and VLDL-C), as well as serum PON1 activity, were assessed. Malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were also measured. Several indices of cardiovascular risk and the correlation between PON1 activity and these indices were calculated based on the obtained results from the lipid profile.
Results: Induction of diabetes could dramatically alter all of the parameters mentioned above, and the lower dose of HESS (100 mg/kg) was not effective in restoring the parameters. However, the higher doses (200 and 400 mg/kg) alone and in combination with GB could significantly improve lipid profile, restore PON1 activity, and decrease cardiovascular risk indices, MDA, as well. However, neither HESS nor GB could significantly reduce TNF-α and hs-CRP. A significant negative correlation also was detected between PON1 activity and cardiovascular risk indices.
Conclusion: conclusively, HESS can be considered as a potent antihyperlipidemic agent with remarkable cardioprotective effects and can potentiate the antidiabetic effects of GB.