Neuroprotective potential of a plant-based intervention in diabetic neuropathy: Biochemical and behavioral insights from a streptozotocin-induced rat model

Table 1 The effect of polyherbal extract treatment on body weight of control and experimental groups, mean ± SEM

Groups	Body weight1 (g)
	Week 0	Week 8
Control	195.4 ± 6.0	245.3 ± 7.7 (-3.70%)
Diabetic	185.6 ± 5.2 (-5.02%)	155.6 ± 6.5a (-36.57%)
Diabetic + PHE	188.4 ± 5.8 (+1.51%)	220.7 ± 7.4d (+41.84%)
Diabetic + Met	198.7 ± 4.5 (+7.06%)	210.5 ± 5.8d (+35.28%)
Control + PHE	189.7 ± 5.6 (-2.92 %)	238.6 ± 6.9 (-2.73%)

¹The diabetic groups treated with polyherbal extract or metformin showed increased in body weight compared to the untreated diabetic group. Values in parentheses indicate percentage increase (+) or decrease (-) as compared with the control or the diabetic group.

^aP < 0.05 vs the control group.

^dP < 0.05 vs diabetic group.

PHE: Polyherbal extract; Met: Metformin.

Table 2 The effect of polyherbal extract treatment on blood glucose, insulin and haemoglobin level of control and experimental groups, mean ± SEM

Groups1	Blood glucose (mg/dL)	Insulin (ng/mL)	Haemoglobin (%)
Control	96.4 ± 3.6	3.8 ± 0.65	4.9 ± 0.61
Diabetic	284.4 ± 5.1a (+195.02%)	0.68 ± 0.36a (-82.11%)	7.9 ± 0.52a (+61.22%)
Diabetic + PHE	198.6 ± 4.9d (-30.17%)	2.8 ± 0.46d (+311.76%)	6.4 ± 0.71d (-18.99%)
Diabetic + Met	168.3 ± 4.1d (-40.82%)	3.1 ± 0.69d (+355.88%)	5.9 ± 0.41d (-25.32%)
Control + PHE	119.5 ± 4.6 (+23.96%)	3.4 ± 0.67 (-10.53 %)	5.1 ± 0.56 (+4.08%)

¹The diabetic group showed a significant increase in fasting blood glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin with a significant decrease in insulin compared with the control group. Polyherbal extract treatment significantly augmented these parameters in the diabetic + polyherbal extract group compared with the diabetic group. Values in parentheses indicate percentage increase (+) or decrease (-) as compared with the control or the diabetic group.

^aP < 0.05 vs control group.

^dP < 0.05 vs diabetic group.

PHE: Polyherbal extract; Met: Metformin.

Table 3 The effect of polyherbal extract treatment on lipid profile of control and experimental groups, mean ± SEM

Groups/parameters1	Total cholesterol (mg/dL)	Triglycerides (mg/dL)	High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mg/dL)	Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mg/dL)	Very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mg/dL)
Control	125.33 ± 3.2	98.57 ± 4.3	58.62 ± 1.9	47.0 ± 2.3	19.71 ± 1.8
Diabetic	288.75 ± 4.7c (+130.39%)	187.05 ± 5.3b (+89.776%)	27.34 ± 1.6b (-53.36%)	224.0 ± 4.6c (+376.59%)	37.41 ± 1.9b (+89.80%)
Diabetic + PHE	178.44 ± 3.9e (-38.20%)	158.34 ± 5.2d (-15.35%)	42.33 ± 2.4e (+54.83%)	104.4 ± 3.8e (-53.39%)	31.67 ± 1.6d (-15.34%)
Diabetic + Met	148.42 ± 4.2f (-48.59%)	139.22 ± 4.9d (-25.57%)	48.78 ± 2.9e (+78.42%)	71.8 ± 3.2f (-67.95%)	27.84 ± 1.7d (-25.58%)
Control + PHE	130.65 ± 3.3 (+4.24%)	119.76 ± 4.4 (+21.49%)	52.65 ± 3.1 (-10.18%)	54.1 ± 3.1 (+15.11%)	23.92 ± 2.1 (+21.36%)

¹The diabetic group showed a significant increase in total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol with a significant decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol compared with the control group. Polyherbal extract treatment significantly augmented these parameters in the diabetic + polyherbal extract group compared with the diabetic group. Values in parentheses indicate percentage increase (+) or decrease (-) as compared with the control or the diabetic group.

^bP < 0.01 vs control group.

^cP < 0.05 vs control group.

^dP < 0.001 vs diabetic group.

^eP < 0.01 vs diabetic group.

^fP < 0.05 vs diabetic group.

PHE: Polyherbal extract; Met: Metformin.

Table 4 Effect of polyherbal extract on quantitative histopathological changes in the pancreas and sciatic nerve tissue, mean ± SEM

Groups	Number of islets, 10 × field	Diameter of the islet	Sciatic nerve damage score
Control	6.33 ± 0.29	163.62 ± 12.71	0.0 ± 0.0
Diabetic	3.7 ± 0.32a	95.83 ± 5.10a	2.85 ± 0.16a
Diabetic+ PHE	4.6 ± 0.42d	145.81 ± 6.32d	1.62 ± 0.23d
Diabetic + Met	4.9 ± 0.52d	140.22 ± 6.72d	1.59 ± 0.24d
Control + PHE	5.89 ± 0.37	156.47 ± 8.90	0.12 ± 0.02

^aP < 0.05 vs control group.

^dP < 0.05 vs diabetic group.

PHE: Polyherbal extract; Met: Metformin.