Effect of Phaseolus vulgaris on circulatory antioxidants and lipids in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes.

The effect of Phaseolus vulgaris, an indigenous plant used in ayurvedic medicine in India, on circulatory antioxidants and lipids was studied in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Oral administration of an aqueous extract of P. vulgaris pods (PPEt, 200 mg/kg body weight) for 45 days significantly reduced the elevated blood glucose, serum triglycerides, free fatty acids, phospholipids, total cholesterol, very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The extract also caused a significant decrease in plasma thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), hydroperoxides, vitamin E, and ceruloplasmin. The decreased serum levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, antiatherogenic index (AAI), plasma insulin, vitamin C, and glutathione in the diabetic rats were also reversed toward normalization. The results show the antioxidant and antihyperlipidemic properties of PPEt in addition to its antidiabetic action. PPEt was found to be more effective than glibenclamide.