@ARTICLE{Rezaei, author = {Rezaei, Elham and Hosseini, , Seyyed Ebrahim and Mehrabani, Davood and }, title = {Effects of pomegranate juice on insulin and glucose in diabetic and non-diabetic male rats}, volume = {20}, number = {3}, abstract ={Background and Aim: Diabetes is one of the diseases resulting from defects in insulin secretion or action. Pomegranate juice is a nutrient used in the treatment of some diseases in traditional medicine. Thus, the present study investigated the effects of pomegranate juice on blood glucose and insulin levels in adult male rats. Materials and Methods: The present study was an empirical one in which 90 adult male Wistar rats, weighing 200 to 220 g each, were randomly divided into five groups of control, sham, experimental (diabetic and non –diabetic) 1, 2 and 3. The control group (n=9) and the sham (n=9) received only distilled water, but the diabetic and non-diabetic groups 1, 2 and 3 received 1, 2 and 4cc of pomegranate juice for 21days through gavage. As for diabetic rats, diabetes was induced through intraperitioneal injection of 60 mg/kg of streptozotocin into each. In the experimental groups, the animals were each treated to a singl dose of pomegranate juice every day for 21days. At the end of the 21st day, blood samples were taken from the experimental and control groups and their serum levels of insulin and glucose were measured. The obtained data was analysed by means of SPSS (v: 18) using ANOVA and LSD softwares. Results: It was found that minimum, average or maximum dose of pomegranate juice caused a significant reduction in their glycemia at the levels of P=0.05, P=0.005 and P=0.0005, respectively but it increased insulin at the levels P=0.023, P=0.015, and P=0.002, respectively in the diabetic group compared to the control group. However, it had no significant effect on the non-diabetic rats. Conclusion: Pomegranate, due to having antioxidant compounds such as polyphenolic compounds, increases insulin and thus, decreases blood glucose levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic group. }, URL = {http://journal.bums.ac.ir/article-1-1345-en.html}, eprint = {http://journal.bums.ac.ir/article-1-1345-en.pdf}, journal = {Journal of Birjand University of Medical Sciences}, doi = {}, year = {2013} }