Antioxidant and Antidiabetic Properties of Capparis ovata var. canescens Plant Extract

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a prevalent metabolic disorder that adversely affects multiple organ systems, including the heart, kidneys, brain, and eyes. Capparis ovata, a plant used in traditional medicine, has demonstrated various pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, anticholinesterase, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antibacterial, and immunostimulatory effects. In this study, we investigated the potential antidiabetic properties of Capparis ovata var. canescens (CO) through in vivo experiments. The above-ground parts of the CO plant were extracted using the maceration method with methanol. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats via streptozotocin and nicotinamide administration, after which the rats were treated with CO at doses of 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg for 21 days. During this period, key diabetic parameters, including body weight, blood glucose levels, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and insulin tolerance test (ITT), were assessed, along with biochemical analyses of pancreatic tissue. The results indicated that CO significantly improved blood glucose regulation at both doses, as evidenced by OGTT and ITT findings. Notably, the 40 mg/kg CO treatment enhanced insulin sensitivity in ITT, showing effects comparable to the positive control group treated with metformin (400 mg/kg). Furthermore, analysis of antioxidant parameters in pancreatic tissue suggested that CO may exhibit antioxidant activity and mitigate oxidative stress. These findings suggest that CO possesses potential therapeutic properties for the management and regulation of T2DM.

Keywords

• Capparis ovata var. canescens;
• Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
• oxidative stress
• streptozotocin/nicotinamide

References

1. [1] Yaribeygi H, Sathyapalan T, Atkin SL, Sahebkar A. Molecular mechanisms linking oxidative stress and diabetes mellitus. Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity 2020;8609213. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8609213.
2. [2] Wasana KGP, Attanayake AP, Jayatilaka KAPW, Weerarathna TP. Antidiabetic activity of widely used medicinal plants in the Sri Lankan traditional healthcare system: new insight to medicinal flora in Sri Lanka. Evidence‐Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2021;6644004. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6644004
3. [3] Fu Z, R. Gilbert E, Liu D. Regulation of insulin synthesis and secretion and pancreatic Beta-cell dysfunction in diabetes. Current diabetes reviews. 2013;9:25-53
4. [4] Giri B, Dey S, Das T, Sarkar M, Banerjee J, Dash SK. Chronic hyperglycemia mediated physiological alteration and metabolic distortion leads to organ dysfunction, infection, cancer progression and other pathophysiological consequences: An update on glucose toxicity. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy. 2018;107:306-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2018.07.157.
5. [5] Yedjou CG, Grigsby J, Mbemi A, Nelson D, Mildort B, et al. The management of diabetes mellitus using medicinal plants and vitamins. International journal of molecular sciences. 2023;24:9085. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24109085.
6. [6] Dawi J, Misakyan Y, Affa S, Kades S, Narasimhan A, et al. Oxidative Stress, Glutathione Insufficiency, and Inflammatory Pathways in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Implications for Therapeutic Interventions. Biomedicines. 2024;13:18
7. [7] Mandal M, Varghese A, Gaviraju V, Talwar SN, Malini SS. Impact of hyperglycaemia on molecular markers of oxidative stress and antioxidants in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Clinical Diabetology. 2019;8:215-22. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13010018.
8. [8] Oguntibeju OO. Type 2 diabetes mellitus, oxidative stress and inflammation: examining the links. International journal of physiology, pathophysiology and pharmacology. 2019;11:45.

9. [9] Tagliabue M, Pinach S, Di Bisceglie C, Brocato L, Cassader M, et al. Glutathione levels in patients with erectile dysfunction, with or without diabetes mellitus. International journal of andrology. 2005;28:156-62. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2605.2005.00528.x.
10. [10] Sakata N. The anti-inflammatory effect of metformin: The molecular targets. Genes Cells. 2024;29:183-91.
11. [12] Mohiuddin GS, Palaian S, Shankar PR, Sam KG, Kumar M. Uncommon side effects of commonly used anti-diabetics: time to monitor them. Int J Pharm Sci Res. 2019;10:4145-8. https://doi.org/10.1111/gtc.13098.
12. [13] Yedjou CG, Grigsby J, Mbemi A, Nelson D, Mildort B, et al. The Management of Diabetes Mellitus Using Medicinal Plants and Vitamins. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24109085.
13. [14] Ozgun-Acar O, Celik-Turgut G, Guner H, Sezer S, Sen A. Biochemical, pharmacological, and toxicological attributes of caper (Capparis ovata) flowering buds and berries pickles. Food Sci Nutr. 2022;10:4189-200. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3012.
14. [15] Aba PE, Asuzu IU. Mechanisms of actions of some bioactive anti-diabetic principles from phytochemicals of medicinal plants: A review. 2018;9(2):85-96. https://doi.org/10.4314/sokjvs.v16i3.7.
15. [16] Duman E, Özcan MM. Mineral contents of seed and seed oils of Capparis species growing wild in Turkey. Environmental monitoring and assessment. 2014;186:239-45. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-013-3369-y.
16. [17] Bektas N, Arslan R, Goger F, Kirimer N, Ozturk Y. Investigation for anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombotic activities of methanol extract of Capparis ovata buds and fruits. Journal of ethnopharmacology. 2012;142:48-52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2012.04.011.
17. [18] Al Juhaimi F, Ghafoor K, Musa Özcan M, Uslu N, Babiker EE, et al. Effect of cold press and Soxhlet extraction systems on total carotenoid, antioxidant activity values and phytochemicals in caper (Capparis ovata var herbacea) seed oils. Journal of Food Processing and Preservation. 2021;45:e15530. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpp.15530.
18. [19] Taşkın T, Taşkın D, Cam M-E, Bulut G. Phenolic compounds, biological activities and trace elements of Capparis ovata var. canescens. Revista de Biología Tropical. 2020;68:590-600
19. [20] Özcan MM, Efe NS. Effect of fermentation on chemical and bioactive properties and phenolic profiles of caper (Capparis ovata Desf. var. ovata) flower buds in three different sizes. Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences 2024;23:74-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jssas.2023.09.004.
20. [21] Hamdy SA, Hashem MM, El Hefnawy HM, Azzam SM, Aboutabl E-SA. Hydrocotyle umbellata L.; a natural source of bioactives to mitigate diabetes mellitus and its complications. Natural Product Research. 2023;1-4. Https://doi.org/10.1080/14786419.2023.2290147.
21. [22] Chanu KD, Sharma N, Kshetrimayum V, Chaudhary SK, Ghosh S, et al. Ageratina adenophora (Spreng.) King & H. Rob. Standardized leaf extract as an antidiabetic agent for type 2 diabetes: An in vitro and in vivo evaluation. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2023;39(4):1178904. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2023.1178904.
22. [23] Assadi S, Shafiee SM, Erfani M, Akmali M. Antioxidative and antidiabetic effects of Capparis spinosa fruit extract on high-fat diet and low-dose streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic rats. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2021;138:111391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111391.
23. [24] Lee D, Kim SJ, Choi YJ, Rho YH, Kang TS, et al. The Glucose-Lowering Effect of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum and D-Pinitol: Studies on Insulin Secretion in INS-1 Cells and the Reduction of Blood Glucose in Diabetic Rats. Nutrients 2025;17:193. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17010193.
24. [25] Ertik O, Bayrak BB, Sener G, Yanardag R. Melatonin improves liver and pancreatic tissue injuries in diabetic rats: role on antioxidant enzymes. Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders 2023;22:591-602. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40200-022-01179-w.
25. [26] Chike-Ekwughe A, John-Africa LB, Adebayo AH, Ogunlana OO. 2024. Antioxidative and anti-diabetic effects of Tapinanthus cordifolius leaf extract on high-fat diet and streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic rats. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy. 2024;176:116774. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116774.
26. [27] Abdella FI, Toumi A, Boudriga S, Alanazi TY, Alshamari AK, et al. Antiobesity and antidiabetes effects of Cyperus rotundus rhizomes presenting protein tyrosine phosphatase, dipeptidyl peptidase 4, metabolic enzymes, stress oxidant and inflammation inhibitory potential. Heliyon. 2024;10(5). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27598.
27. [28] Adam SH, Giribabu N, Rao PV, Sayem AS, Arya A, et al. Rhinacanthin C ameliorates hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidemia and pancreatic destruction in streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced adult male diabetic rats. Eur J Pharmacol. 2016;771:173-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2015.12.028.
28. [29] Othman AI, El-Sawi MR, El-Missiry MA, Abukhalil MH. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate protects against diabetic cardiomyopathy through modulating the cardiometabolic risk factors, oxidative stress, inflammation, cell death and fibrosis in streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced diabetic rats. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy 2017;94:362-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2017.07.129.
29. [30] Olofinsan KA, Salau VF, Erukainure OL, Islam MS. Senna petersiana (Bolle) leaf extract modulates glycemic homeostasis and improves dysregulated enzyme activities in fructose-fed streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2023;303:115998. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2022.115998.
30. [31] Narang A, Rashid M, Thakur S, Jain SK, Kaur A, Kaur S. Acute Pre- and Post-administration of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 2034 and Its Secretory Metabolites Ameliorates Hyperglycaemia, Hyperlipidaemia, and Oxidative Stress in Diabetic Rats. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12602-024-10343-y.
31. [32] Taheri Rouhi SZ, Sarker MMR, Rahmat A, Alkahtani SA, Othman F. The effect of pomegranate fresh juice versus pomegranate seed powder on metabolic indices, lipid profile, inflammatory biomarkers, and the histopathology of pancreatic islets of Langerhans in streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced type 2 diabetic Sprague–Dawley rats. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 20217;17:1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-017-1667-6.
32. [33] He A, Shen J, Xue Y, Li Y, Huang L, et al. Diacerein attenuates vascular dysfunction by reducing inflammatory response and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic rats. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 2021;585:68-74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.11.017.
33. [34] Quintana-Pérez J, García-Dolores F, Valdez-Guerrero A, Alemán-González-Duhart D, Arellano-Mendoza M, et al. Modeling type 2 diabetes in rats by administering tacrolimus. Islets. 2022;14:114-27. https://doi.org/10.1080/19382014.2022.2051991.
34. [35] Ertaş B, Turan FB, Özbeyli D, Yanardağ R, Saçan Ö, Şener G. Protective effects of Petroselinum crispum (Parsley) extract against methotrexate-induced hepatotoxicity. European Journal of Biology. 2021;80:173-8. https://doi.org/10.26650/EurJBiol.2021.1023136.
35. [36] Colak DK, Coskun Yazici ZM, Bolkent S. Protective effects of ghrelin on pancreas in fructose diet and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Journal of Molecular Histology. 2025;56:1-11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10735-024-10329-8.
36. [37] Özbeyli D, Sarı G, Özkan N, Karademir B, Yüksel M, et alProtective effects of different exercise modalities in an Alzheimer’s disease-like model. Behavioural brain research 2017;328:159-77. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2017.03.044.