The present study aimed to evaluate the anti-diabetic property of peanut shell polyphenol extracts (PSPEs). Diabetic rats were oral-administrated with PSPE at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight (BW) per day for 28 consecutive days, with metformin (Met) as a positive control. The results showed that, similar to the Met treatment, administration of PSPE caused significant decreases in food intake, water intake, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and methane dicarboxylic aldehyde in serum, and significant increases in BW, insulin level, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and liver glycogen. Further, glucose tolerance was markedly improved in the PSPE-treated diabetic groups. Histopathological results showed that PSPE improved cellular structural and pathological changes in liver, kidney, and pancreatic islets. Collectively, the results indicated that the hypoglycemic effects of PSPE on high-fat diet/streptozotocin (HFD/STZ)-induced diabetes are comparable to Met, though their exact mechanism actions are still under investigation. Therefore, the current study suggests that PSPE could be a potential health-care food supplement in the management of diabetes.
Keywords: Peanut shell polyphenol extract (PSPE); Anti-diabetic activity; Streptozotocin (STZ).