Antihyperglycemic effect of aqueous extract of sea buckthorn (Hippophae Rhamnoides L.) seed residues in streptozotocin-treated and high fat-diet-fed rats

The present study was designed to investigate the antihyperglycemic activity of the aqueous extract of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) seed residues (ASSR) in streptozotocin (STZ) and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced type 2 diabetic rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into a normal control group (control), diabetic group and diabetic group supplemented with ASSR. Type 2 diabetes was induced by intravenous injection of low-dose STZ (25 mg/kg b.w.) and feeding with HFD for 10 weeks. Vehicle (distilled water) and ASSR (400 mg/kg b.w.) were orally administered once a day for 6 weeks. Our results showed that administration of ASSR significantly lowered the body weight, serum glucose, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in diabetic rats. Meanwhile, ASSR also significantly increased insulin sensitivity index in diabetic rats. These results suggest that ASSR might exhibit hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects in the STZ-HFD-induced type 2 diabetic rats.