The effects of sub-chronic administration of an aqueous extract of Ficus bengalensis stem bark on hematological and biochemical parameters in rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes were evaluated. The possible protective effect of the F. bengalensis (500 mg/kg of body weight per day) extract on STZ-induced changes was evaluated over 12 weeks. | Turk J Biol 33 (2009) 9-13 © TÜBİTAK doi: The Effects of Oral Administration of an Aqueous Extract of Ficus bengalensis Stem Bark on Some Hematological and Biochemical Parameters in Rats with Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes Mahalingam GAYATHRI, Krishnan KANNABIRAN Biomolecules and Genetics Division, School of Biotechnology, Chemical, and Biomedical Engineering VIT University, Vellore-632 014, Tamil Nadu - INDIA Received: Abstract: The effects of sub-chronic administration of an aqueous extract of Ficus bengalensis stem bark on hematological and biochemical parameters in rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes were evaluated. The possible protective effect of the F. bengalensis (500 mg/kg of body weight per day) extract on STZ-induced changes was evaluated over 12 weeks. The parameters evaluated were plasma proteins, including total protein albumin and globulin, non-protein nitrogenous substances, including urea, uric acid, and creatinine, and hematological indices, including total hemoglobin content, erythrocytes, leucocytes, and platelets counts. The aqueous extract had a significant (P 250 mg/dl and only those animals were used for the study. STZ-induced diabetes developed and stabilized over a period of 7 days (12). Untreated control rats were given M citrate buffer (pH ) only. Experimental Design Animals were divided into 4 groups, each consisting of 6 animals. Group 1 served as a control, group 2 included rats with STZ-induced diabetes, group 3 served as a positive control and received the standard hypoglycemic drug, tolbutamide (100 mg/kg of body weight), and group 4 included rats with STZ-induced diabetes that were treated with the aqueous extract (500 mg/kg of body weight per day) for 12 weeks via oral intubation. Rats were sacrificed at the end of 12 weeks and blood samples were collected to estimate plasma proteins, non-protein nitrogenous substances, and hematological indices. Biochemical and hematological
