Context: Diabetes is a metabolic disorder related to blood insulin deficiency and high glucose level. Cinnamaldehyde is an important component of cinnamon and has an effect on blood glucose.
Objective: It was aimed to investigate the the effect of cinnamaldehyde on the liver glutathione (GSH), glucose-6-phosphate dehidrogenase (G6PD) activity, blood glucose, protein, lipid and erythrocyte parameters, live weight in diabetic rats.
Material and methods: Rat used for this research were divided 4 group as control, diabetic, cinnamaldehyde and diabetic + cinnamaldehyde group. The live weight and fasting blood glucose level, taken from tail vein were recorded every ten days. End of the trail the blood samples were taken from rats. Biochemical parameters with autoanalyzer and hematological parameters with blood cell counter were determined in blood. The activity of G6PD and GSH amounts were measured with ELISA in the liver tissues.
Results: Blood sugar, triglyceride, total cholesterol, VLDL, LDL, and urea levels increased in diabetic rats, and cinnemaldehyde significantly decreased these parameters. Cinnemaldehyde also showed a positive effect on body weight, blood total protein, and mean corpuscular volume in diabetes. A decrease in HbA1c and an increase in liver G6PD, GSH activity were found in treatment group, but these changes were not statistically significant.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the antidiabetic, hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of cinnamaldehyde were determined. It has also been shown to improve anaemia, ürea levels and weight loss.
Keywords: Diabet; biochemical parameters; cinnamaldehyde; glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase; hematological parameters; rat.