The increasing numbers of elderly people, eating calorie rich diets, obesity and lack of physical activity have increased a great the number of patients with diabetes. Worldwide According to International Diabetes Federation (IDF) there were 6.9 million cases of diabetes in Pakistan in 2014 and occurrence of diabetes in adults of 20-79 years of age was 6.8 %.( International Diabetes Federation, cited on January 31, 2015). The feeding on chicory roots decreased the levels of plasma glucose, cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and also reduced liver cholesterol, triglyceride and total lipids of diabetic patient. In the present study, it was aimed to utilize a indigenous sources like prebiotics to overcome the representative burden on economy and estimating the outcome of administration of chicory powder for use as a substitute mediator of insulin in the control of diabetes mellitus.
In the present study, chicory roots were cleaned, oven dried and ground to fine powder. The proximate analysis of chicory powder was performed. For feeding trial, thirty two Albino rats 5 to 6 weeks age, almost of same weight and mixed sex were procured and were randomly divided into four groups i.e. (A) Control , (B) Diabetic control, (C) Chicory treated and (D) Metformin treated group containing six rats each (three male and three female). Each group of rats was fed with a high fat diet (20%) for the first 2 weeks of adaptation. Then Diabetes was induced in B, C and D groups of rats by injecting 65mg/kg STZ through intraperitoneally. The diabetic rats of group C and D were then used for chicory intervention (125mg/kg of body weight) and for Metformin medication (500mg/kg body weight) along with normal diet respectively. The blood glucose level and weighing of animals measured initially and then
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weekly whereas glucose tolerance test of rats was performed initially and thereafter fortnightly. The feed and water consumption was measured on daily bases.
A significant (p<0.05) difference in blood glucose level was seen among the group B, C and D of rats. A non-significance difference (p>0.05) in blood glucose level was observed when compared between male and female rats of groups A, B, C and D. A significant (p<0.05) difference in live body weight was observed. The group B, C and D showed significant (p<0.05) decrease in live body weight from day 7 to day 28 as compared to group A whereas a non-significant (p>0.05) difference in live body weight of male and female rats of all groups was observed. A significant (p<0.05) difference in glucose tolerance between group C and D was observed whereas a non-significant (p>0.05) difference of glucose tolerance was seen between all male and female rats of groups A, B, C and D while a significant difference (p>0.05) in feed consumption within group A, B, C and D was seen whereas a significant difference (p<0.05) in feed consumption was seen between the subjects. A significant gender difference in feed consumption was observed (p<0.05) between the subjects but within the subjects a non-significant difference was seen. A non-significant (p>0.05) difference was observed within the subjects in water intake whereas significant (p<0.05) difference was seen between the subjects whereas a significant gender difference (p<0.05) was seen between the subject but a non-significant gender difference was observed within the subjects.
It is concluded that Cichoriun intybus root extract can be used as hypoglycemic agent to treat diabetic condition and has no adverse effects on body weight, feed intake and water intake.