Bolade Victoria Olubodun*, Olusola Olalekan Elekofehinti, Akeem Olalekan Lawal, Idowu Waheed Ajibade,, Bukunmi Akinleye Sarah, Motunrayo Margaret Tayelolu, Faith Oghuansuan Oluwatosin, Olumide Victor Olowolafe and Tosin Samuel Olawumi
Diabetes mellitus is a silent killer that claims about 2 million lives annually. Endoplasmic-reticulum (ER) stress has been linked to type-2 diabetes. This study evaluated the effect of Bambusa vulgaris leaf ethanolic extract (B.V.E.E.) on ER-stress induced by Streptozotocin (STZ) in rats. Rats were divided into six groups and induced with the diabetes using streptozotocin (65 mg/kg) except the control group. Bambusa vulgaris (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) were administered to the induced rats for twenty-one (21) days. The rats were sacrificed and blood collected for haematology while the liver was harvested for biochemical analysis. The expression of [(activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK), tribbles 3 (TRB3), transcription factor C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), IRE1, interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 1? (IL-1?) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-?)] genes was done using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Result showed that B.V.E.E. reduced fasting blood glucose in diabetic rats and lowered the activity of AST, ALT and ALP when compared to diabetic un-treated rats. Administration of B.V.E.E. promoted mitochondria biogenesis, reversed inflammation and glucose insensitivity in the pancreas of diabetic ER stress rats via modulation of GADPH, TRB3, CHOP, TNF-?, IL-1? and IL-6 mRNA expressions. B.V.E.E. administration inhibited diabetic ER stress-induced cell apoptosis by depleting the mRNA expression of ER stress sensors (IRE1, ATF4, ATF6 and PERK). Furthermore, B.V.E.E. ameliorated the increased lipid profiles in diabetic rats and restored renal function as shown by lowering the activity of AST, ALT and ALP. as well as restore distorted full blood in diabetic rats. Finally, in silico studies showed that taxiphyllin had the highest binding affinity of all the compounds present in the B. vulgaris leaf and may be the potent compound responsible for mitigation ER stress in the liver. Hence, B.V.E.E. may be deployed as medicinal plant in diabetic ER-stress management and safe for consumption, while taxiphyllin was implicated for the anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory properties.
