Evaluation of antidiabetic and antioxidant potential of lupeol in experimental hyperglycaemia.

Oxidative stress, produced under diabetic conditions, is a possible cause of various forms of tissue damage. The concentrations of antioxidant enzymes in cases of diabetes are significantly decreased, with a concomitant increase in lipid peroxidation. In this study, lupeol, a phytoconstituent from Solanum xanthocarpum, is shown to suppress the progression of diabetes after 21 days. Lupeol treatment caused decreases in glycated haemoglobin, serum glucose and nitric oxide, with a concomitant increase in serum insulin level. Furthermore, treatment with lupeol also increased antioxidant levels, with a decrease in the level of thiobarbituric acid-reactive oxygen species.