The effects of Ananas comosus L. leaves on diabetic-dyslipidemic rats induced by alloxan and a high-fat/high-cholesterol diet.

The aim of this study is to demonstrate the effects of Ananas comosus L. leaves on diabetic-dyslipidemic rats. Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activities of the ethanolic extract of Ananas comosus L. leaves (EEACL) were evaluated in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats by oral glucose tolerance test and an olive oil load test. Anti-diabetic, anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-oxidative activities of EEACL were also investigated in diabetic-dyslipidemic rats induced by alloxan and a high-fat/high-cholesterol diet. EEACL at the dose of 0.40 g/kg significantly inhibited the increase in blood glucose in diabetic rats in oral glucose tolerance test, but did not cause any hypoglycerimic activity in normal rats. It also significantly inhibited the increase in postprandial triglycerides (TG) levels in both normal and diabetic rats in olive oil load test. After 15 days of treatment of diabetic dyslipidemic rats, EEACL significantly decreased blood glucose (-51.0%, P < 0.01), TG (-50.1%, P < 0.01), TC (-23.3%, P < 0.01), LDL-c (-47.9%, P < 0.01) and glycated albumin (-25.4%, P < 0.01) levels, significantly increased serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (66.2%, P < 0.01) and prevented lower body weight of diabetes (11.8%, P < 0.05), significantly lowered lipid peroxidation productions of blood (-27.8%, P < 0.01), brain (-31.6%, P < 0.05), liver (-44.5%, P < 0.01) and kidneys (-72.2%, P < 0.05) compared with those in untreated diabetic dyslipidemic rats. These data suggest that EEACL has anti-diabetic, anti-dyslipidemic and anti-oxidative activities, which may be developed into a new plant medicine for treatment of diabetes and its complications.