Influence of Lemongrass Essential Oil (Cymbopogon flexuosus) Supplementation on Diabetes in Rat Model

Abstract

(1) Background: Species of the genus Cymbopogon and its essential oil are known for their antioxidant and hypoglycemic effects. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the essential oil of Cymbopogon flexuosus (EOCF), and its major component, citral, on glycemic, lipid, antioxidant parameters, and oxidative stress in a type 1 diabetes (DM1) rat model. (2) Methods: Initially, EOCF was analyzed by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and the antioxidant activity of EOCF and citral was evaluated. Next, male Wistar rats (3 months old, 200-250 g) induced with DM1 using Streptozotocin (STZ) were divided into four groups: negative control supplemented with an 80% Tween solution, two groups of animals supplemented with EOCF (32 mg/kg and 64 mg/kg) and with citral (32 mg/kg), and treated for 14 days. Measurements of blood glucose levels and body weight were taken; after euthanasia, biochemical markers, including lipid profile, uric acid, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), were evaluated. (3) Results: The predominant compounds in EOCF were α-citral (53.21%) and neral (19.42%), constituting 72.63% citral. EOCF showed good antioxidant activity, significantly greater than citral. EOCF supplementation demonstrated a mitigating effect on glycemic, lipid, and hepatic abnormalities induced by DM1. (4) Conclusions: EOCF emerges as a promising therapeutic option for the management of DM1.

Keywords: Cymbopogon; citral; diabetes mellitus; hypoglycemic agents; oxidative stress.

Figure 1

Antioxidant activity of Cymbopogon flexuosus essential oil (EOCF) and citral. The analysis was carried out using the (A) DPPH, (B) ABTS and (C) FRAP methods. Trolox was used as the standard antioxidant and the system was used as a control. The test was carried out in quintuplicate and the results represent the mean ± standard deviation (SD) of the values; different letters indicate a statistical difference (p < 0.05) between the samples tested; **** indicates a statistical difference between the samples and the system (without antioxidant) p < 0.05—(ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post-test).

Figure 2

Glycemia (A) and body weight (B) of diabetic rats after 14 days of supplementation with EOCF (32 and 64 mg/kg) and citral (32 mg/kg). Tween 80 (TW80) was used as a control. The assay was performed in quintuplicate and the results represent the mean ± standard deviation (SD) of the values; * p < 0.05 versus system—(ANOVA followed by Tukey post-test).

Figure 3

Liver ALT (A), AST (B) and Uric Acid Levels (C) of diabetic rats after 14 days of supplementation with EOCF (32 and 64 mg/kg) and citral (32 mg/kg). Tween 80 (TW80) was used as a control. The assay was performed in quintuplicate and the results represent the mean ± standard deviation (SD) of the values; * p < 0.05 versus system—(ANOVA followed by Tukey post-test).

Figure 4

Lipid levels of HDL-Cholesterol (A), LDL-Cholesterol (B), Triglyceride (C) and Total cholesterol (D) of diabetic rats after 14 days of supplementation with EOCF (32 and 64 mg/kg) and citral (32 mg/kg). Tween 80 (TW80) was used as a control. The assay was performed in quintuplicate and the results represent the mean ± standard deviation (SD) of the values; * p < 0.05 versus system, # p < 0.05 versus EOCF 64 mg/kg and citral—(ANOVA followed by Tukey post-test).