THE JUICE OF ASPARAGUS BY-PRODUCT EXERTS HYPOGLYCEMIC ACTIVITY IN STREPTOZOTOCIN-INDUCED DIABETIC RATS

The woody ends of asparagus (Asparagus officinalisL.) spears contain various bioactive substances. However, they are often discarded as by-products. We extracted juice from recycled woody stems of asparagus (AJ) to investigate its hypoglycemic effect in a streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model. The diabetic rats showed significant decreased fasting serum glucose, glycosylated serum protein and malondialdehyde levels after 21 days of AJ treatment. Moreover, the oral glucose tolerance test revealed that AJ treatment can significantly reduce rat blood glucose level at 30, 60 and 120min after glucose loading. These results demonstrated the hypoglycemic activity of AJ and its potential therapeutic use in preventing diabetic complications associated with hyperglycemia and oxidative stress.