Evaluation of the neuro-protective effect of Artemisia judaica extract in a murine diabetic model.

Chronic hyperglycemia is associated with several negative outcomes including neuronal injury. Medicinal plants supplementation has been widely applied to treat or decrease diabetic complications. Here, the possible neuroprotective effect of Artemisia judaica extract (AjE. 300 mg kg-1  day-1 ) against neuronal deficits in diabetes model induced by high-fat diet (HFD) administration and streptozotocin (STZ, 30 mg/Kg) injection in rats was investigated. Diabetic rats showed a disturbance in the neuronal redox homeostasis as confirmed by the elevated lipoperoxidation and nitric oxide formation along with the decreased antioxidant molecules. In addition, a state of neuroinflammation and apoptosis were recorded in the brain tissue in diabetic rats. Furthermore, HFD/STZ provoked neurochemical alterations. However, AjE administration was found to abrogate significantly the neuronal impairments associated with diabetes. This neuroprotective effect comes from its strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and neuromodulatory activity; suggesting that AjE may be applied to alleviate neurological impairments in diabetic patients. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by high blood glucose level comes from the dysregulation of insulin production and/or its action. The persisted hyperglycemia is correlated with the progression of several physical complications including renal, hepatic, vascular, retinal, and neuronal dysfunction. Artemisia is used in the nutritional and medicinal proposes due to the enriched bioactive molecules such as essential oil, flavonoids, phenolics, sesquiterpenoids, triterpenoids, and artemisinin. And we found that Artemisia judaica extract (AjE) administration was able to abrogate significantly the neuronal impairments associated with diabetes. This neuroprotective effect comes from its strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and neuromodulatory activity; suggesting that AjE may be applied to alleviate neurological impairments in diabetic patients.