<b>Background and Objective:</b> Plant extracts were widely used to maintain postprandial levels and minimize diabetes complications. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of selenium nanoparticles and aqueous extract of the <i>Moringa</i> plant against diabetes mellitus complications and compare their therapeutic effects. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Fifty six Wistar male rats were divided randomly into 8 groups (7 rats each): (i) Control, (ii): Received corn oil, (iii): Treated with Se-NPs, (iv): Injected orally with <i>Moringa</i> aqueous extract (MAE), (v): Treated with a single i.p., dose of streptozotocin (STZ), (vi): Single i.p., dose of STZ followed by Se-NPs, (vii): Treated with a single i.p., dose of STZ then MAE orally and (viii): Injected with STZ and then received Se-NPs. After 4 weeks the blood sera were isolated and stored at -20°C for investigation of values of insulin, GSH, MDA, SOD, GSH-PX, triglycerides, T-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol. <b>Results:</b> The STZ treatment decreased insulin, HDL cholesterol and body weight values while increasing glucose, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and mild degeneration of islets of Langerhans. The single treatment of diabetic rats with either MAE or Se-NPs exhibited a decline in the levels of serum glucose, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, MDA and GSH, improving the HDL-cholesterol, insulin level and body weight. <b>Conclusion:</b> The co-administration of diabetic rats with MAE and Se-NPs resulted in a prominent improvement that was revealed by restoring beta-cell function, reducing blood glucose levels and stimulating insulin production rather than their single therapeutic use.
Keywords: Diabetes mellitus; LC-MS analysis; Moringa oleifera; hyperlipidemia; insulin; islets of Langerhans; oxidative stress; selenium nanoparticles; streptozotocin.