Effect of a Mixture of Plants Extracts on Genomic DNA, Insulin Receptor, and Insulin Receptor Substrate-1 Genes in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Male Rats.

Abstract

This study was designed to study the effects of methanol-watery extracts mixture of five selective medicinal plants on genomic DNA, insulin receptor, and insulin receptor substrate-1 genes in alloxan-induced diabetic male rats. The molecular assays used in this study was DNA fragmentation test and polymerase chain reaction of insulin receptor and insulin receptor substrate-1. Phytochemical assays (thin layer chromatography (TLC) and antioxidant activity by ?- carotene spray) were carried out for characterization of methanol-watery extracts of each plants used (Trigonella faenum-graecum (fenugreek) seeds, Nigella sativa (black cumin) seeds, Zingiber officinale (ginger) rhizomes, Olea europeae (olive) leaves, and Fraxinus ssp.(ash) seeds). The results indicate presence of number of antioxidant bands with different retardation factors (R_f).   Molecular study of DNA showed fragmentation in both DNA extracted from WBC and renal cortex in diabetic group while treatment with mixture  of plants extracts significantly reduced DNA fragmentation in both DNA extracted from WBC and renal cortex in all treatment groups except treatment for 45 days which still had lyses level 5000 bp of DNA extracted from renal cortex. On the other hand, insulin receptor gene of diabetic and diabetic-treated groups for different periods (45, 60, 75 days) showed precense of one band (200 bp) compared with normal control which had two bands while insulin receptor substrate-1 has normal band (320 bp) in normal and treated groups.

Keywords: alloxan, insulin receptor, insulin receptor substrate -1, antioxidant, DNA fragmentation