Abstract

Diabetes mellitus has remained one of the serious health problems

in the world; and oxidative stress has been reported to be a root cause for

the progression and development of diabetes mellitus and its associated complications.

Aim: This study investigated the possible ameliorative effects of

lycopene on diabetic-induced changes in erythrocyte osmotic fragility and lipid

peroxidation in Wistar rats. Methodology: The animals were made diabetic

by single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin at 60 mg/kg b w.

Diabetes was confirmed by the presence of high fasting blood glucose level ≥

200 after 72 hours. Thereafter, diabetic rats were randomly assigned into six

groups (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) comprising five animals each. Group 1 (Diabetic

control) and group 2 (Normal control) rats received 0.5 ml of olive oil, groups

3, 4, 5 rats received 10, 20, 40 mg/kg bw of lycopene respectively, while those

in group 6 received 2 mg/kg bw of glibenclamide orally once daily for a period

of four weeks. At the end of the treatment, all animals were sacrificed; blood

samples collected for determination of erythrocyte osmotic fragility (EOF)

and lipid peroxidation (LPO). Results: The results obtained showed that there

was a significantly (P < 0.05) lowered erythrocyte osmotic fragility in diabetic

animals treated with lycopene when compared with diabetic control group. In

addition, there was also a significantly (P < 0.05) reduced erythrocyte malondialdehyde

concentration, an index of lipid peroxidation in the diabetic

treated groups when compared with diabetic control group. Conclusion:

From the available findings, it can be concluded that administration of lycopene

to diabetic rats attenuated diabetic-induced changes in EOF and LPO and these

observed effects may be attributed to anti-oxidative property of lycopene.