The Effect of Licorice Root Extract on Blood Sugar Level in Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Rats

Background and Objective: Licorice is a herbal medicine which carries a lot of traditional effects as the root of this herb is very sweet if it can reduce or does not increase blood sugar, it can be used in treatment of diabetic patients. Present study was performed to determine whether licorice could reduce blood sugar. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was carried out on eight (8) groups of matured male rats weighing 200 – 250g. Diabetes were established in five groups by injection of 55 mg/kg of streptozotocin. The rats with a blood sugar of higher than 250 mg/kg were entered in to the study. Three groups of diabetic animals were fed- (100, 200, 300 mg/kg) by licorice extract, respectively per day- orally by tubes for 35 days. One group of diabetic rats were injected by insulin NPH at a dose of 4 units and one group of the diabetics was considered without any special treatment. The animal's blood sugar were measured on day: zero, 7, 14, 21 and 35. Results: This research showed that the dosage of 100 mg/kg had not affected blood sugar but dosage of 200 mg/kg during on days 7, 14, 21 and 35 had significantly decreased blood sugar. The dose of 300 mg/kg only could significantly decrease blood sugar on 7th and 35th day of treatment. Conclusion: The results of present work showed that the licorice roots extract had no change in healthy rats blood sugar but in diabetic rats the blood sugar was reduced so it can be concluded that the licorice roots extract can be probably used as a treatment or as a dietary sweetener for diabetic patients in clinical procedures. Key words: Blood Sugar, Licorice Root, Stereptozotocin, Diabetes Mellitus