The effects of aqueous ginger extract on pancreas histology and on blood glucose in normal and alloxan monohydrate-induced diabetic rats.

This study aims to investigate the biochemical and histological changes in the pancreas of rats exposed to aqueous extract of ginger. Twenty adult female albino rats were divided into four groups of five each: Group I, the control group. Group II: Untreated diabetic rats (injected with 65mg/kg Body Weight (BW) of alloxan intraperitoneally); received distilled water. Group III: Diabetic rats; received 500 mg/kg BW/day of the ginger extract. Group IV: Diabetic rats; received 1000 mg/kg BW/day of the ginger extract. The treatment continued for 21 days, then rats were anesthetized, and their pancreases were extirpated to be processed for light microscopic examinations. The alloxan induced rats exhibited hyperglycemia accompanied with increases in glucose, Total Cholesterol (TC), Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C) and Triglycerides (TG) levels. On the other hand, there were reductions in insulin and High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. Ginger was effective in lowering serum glucose and returned the other earlier mentioned blood assays levels in the ginger treated diabetic rats to almost normal value. Microscopic examination of the pancreatic sections of diabetic rats treated with ginger at either doses revealed approximately normal structure, compared with the untreated diabetic group. These results indicate that treatment with aqueous extract of ginger may be effective in lowering hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia in diabetic rats.