The development of cardiovascular complications in patients with diabetes is often associated with an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and antioxidant systems. This imbalance can contribute to high cardiac collagen content, which increases cross-linking and the stiffness of the myocardium. In this study, the protective effect of phaseolamin against damage under oxidative stress and collagen deposition in the cardiac tissue in association with diabetes was evaluated. Non-diabetic and diabetic animals were distributed into groups and treated for 20 days with commercial phaseolamin. The phaseolamin treatment increased total antioxidant activity but reduced the following in diabetic rats: (a) hyperglycaemic state, (b) catalase and superoxide dismutase activity and (c) tissue damage caused by lipid peroxidation. Additionally, the phaseolamin treatment attenuated the collagen levels compared to non-treated diabetic rats. Thus, the short-term anti-hyperglycaemic effect of the phaseolamin treatment may prevent the initial changes caused by oxidative stress and the deposition of collagen, as well as reduce the incidence of heart complications.
Keywords: Diabetes; alpha-amylase inhibitor; collagen; oxidative stress; phaseolamin.