Hypolipidemic and Antioxidant Effects of FenugreekNigella Sativa Combination on DiabeticPatients in Iraq

Abstract

Falah Hassan Shari, Hanan H. Ramadhan, Rasha N. Mohammed, Dawood CH. Al-Bahadily

Background: Dyslipidemia, an established risk factor for coronary heart diseases (CHD), is the most common complication in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), many hypoglycemic drugs were used in the management of diabetes, because of their cost and many side effects, an alternative herbal therapeutic agent are required, from these plants fenugreek (Trigonella foenumgraecum L) and Nigella sativa (NS), that found to have hypolipidemic effects in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus and its serious complications. This study investigates the effect of fenugreek and Nigella sativa seeds mixture for controlling hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and antioxidant effect in type 2 diabetic patients. Method: A Total of 80 patients (45 males and 35 females) with type 2 DM were recruited in this study, they were divided into two groups: study group (n=40) given 2 g of NS seeds powder and 20 g of fenugreek seeds powder a day for 8 weeks and Control group (n=40), which received the usual treatment protocol, diet, exercise and oral hypoglycemic drugs. The blood sample was collected from each participant before and after study. Investigations include fasting blood glucose, lipid profile test and MDA. Result: After 2 months of treatment with fenugreek-Nigella sativa in the study group, there was a significant difference in the total cholesterol (195.03±8.7 vs. 247.4±9.5), low-density lipoprotein (97.8±7.96 vs. 157.36± 6.8), Triglyceride (192±6.9 vs. 261.8±5.5) as compared with baseline values. Although the study group showed a significant elevation in HDL, as compared with the control group (p < 0.05) (40.85±6.16 vs. 37.15±3.18), this elevation was not significant as compared to the baseline value (40.85±6.16 vs. 39.93±5.44). MDA in the study group showed significant reduction as compared with its baseline value (1.64±0.8 vs. 2.3±0.5) but this change was nonsignificant as compared with the control group, between groups (1.64±0.8 vs. 1.52±0.30). Fasting blood glucose were not significantly different between the study and control groups. Conclusion: The combination of fenugreek and Nigella Sativa herbs have the most powerful lipid lowering effect in diabetic patients by controlling blood glucose and its effect on dyslipideamia without side effects and also have greater antioxidant activity by reducing the MDA level in diabetic patients, so can be used as an alternative for management of type 2 diabetes.