• Xiao-ke Zheng, Wei-wei Wang, Li Zhang, Cheng-fu Su, Yong-yong Wu, Ying-ying Ke, Qing-wei Hou, Zhao-yan Liu, Ai-she Gao, and Wei-sheng Feng.
• Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, China.
• J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 2013 May 1;65(5):757-66.

ObjectivesTo investigate the antidiabetic, antihyperlipidaemic and antioxidant activity of total flavonoids in Selaginella tamariscina (Beauv.) Spring (TFST) in a mouse model of diabetes.MethodsNormal mice, mice fed with a high-fat emulsion diet and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice were treated with TFST for 6 weeks. Serum glucose, insulin and lipid, hepatic steatosis, production of the protein visfatin and antioxidant indices were evaluated.Key FindingsTFST significantly decreased the concentration of fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, while it increased the levels of insulin and high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol in diabetic mice. TFST also improved the results of the oral glucose tolerance test to a certain degree. Furthermore, both the free fatty acid levels in the liver and hepatic steatosis were ameliorated by TFST treatment. These changes may be be associated with decreased production of visfatin. Administration of TFST also significantly decreased the levels of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide and inducible nitric oxide synthase and increased the content of glutathione and the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione-S-transferase in the liver. No change in blood glucose levels were observed in the normal mice treated with TFST.ConclusionsTFST showed an excellent effect in reducing the high blood glucose level but had no effect on normal blood glucose level. The antidiabetic activity of TFST could be explained by its antioxidant and antihyperlipidaemic activity, which finally elevated the insulin sensitivity of liver.© 2013 The Authors. JPP © 2013 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

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