Antidiabetic effect of bio-enhanced preparation of turmeric in streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced type 2 diabetic Wistar rats

Poor oral bioavailability of curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, has limited its therapeutic use in various diseases including diabetes mellitus (DM). The present study was aimed at evaluating and comparing the antidiabetic activity as well as pharmacokinetic profile of two turmeric extracts. Rats were divided into seven groups (n = 6) including Normal control (NC), Diabetic control (DC), two standard control groups- Glibenclamide (GLIB) 5 mg/kg and Metformin (MET) 500 mg/kg, two bio-enhanced turmeric extract (BTE) treated groups (BTE-30 (30 mg/kg), BTE-60 (60 mg/kg)) and one regular turmeric extract treated (RTE) group RTE-30 (30 mg/kg). Treatment was given orally for 30 days. Streptozotocin (60 mg/kg) and Nicotinamide (110 mg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally to induce diabetes. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), oral glucose tolerance test at 60 min and 120 min (OG1 and OG2) were analysed at baseline and at the end of study on Day 29. FBG, fasting serum insulin, and concentration of curcumin and its derivatives present in pancreas were analysed at the end of study on Day 30. Turmeric extract treated groups showed significant (p