Effect of Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) and Clove Blossom (Syzygium aromaticum) Powders, Individually and in Combination, on Biochemical Indicators in Diabetic Male Rats.

Sheha, Hanady G; Elmahdy, Mohamed S

doi:10.21608/bnni.2025.440947

Effect of Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) and Clove Blossom (Syzygium aromaticum) Powders, Individually and in Combination, on Biochemical Indicators in Diabetic Male Rats.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Hanady G Sheha ¹
Mohamed S Elmahdy ²

¹ National Nutrition Institute, Cairo, Egypt.

² National Hepatology and Tropical Medicine, Cairo, Egypt

10.21608/bnni.2025.440947

Abstract

Open Access
*Corresponding author:
Hanady G Sheha
Email: nutrihanadysheha@yaoo.com
Mobile:01096150560

Received: 19 April 2025
Accepted: 20 May 2025
Published online: 11 July 2025
Citation
Sheha HG and Elmahdy MS (2025): Effect of Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) and Clove Blossom (Syzygium aromaticum) Powders, Individually and in Combination, on Biochemical Indicators in Diabetic BNNI (65), doi:10.
This investigation focused on examining the effects of clove, zucchini blossom, and their combination on the metabolic markers of diabetic rats. Forty-eight adult albino rats, weighing about 120 ± 5 g each, were split into eight groups of six animals. The first group served as the negative control, while the other groups were injected with alloxan (150 mg/kg body weight) to induce diabetes mellitus (DM). One diabetic group was kept as a positive control, and the remaining groups received 28 days of treatment with either clove blossom, zucchini blossom, or their combination at dietary levels of 5% and 10%. After the treatment, biochemical markers like serum glucose, insulin, lipid profile, liver enzymes, kidney function markers, cardiovascular risk factors, and antioxidant enzymes were measured. In the diabetic rats (positive control group), serum glucose, total cholesterol, LDL-C, VLDL-C, triglycerides, malondialdehyde (MDA), 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG), liver enzymes, kidney function indicators, and cardiovascular risk indices increased significantly (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, insulin, HDL-C, catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels decreased significantly (p < 0.05) compared to the normal control group. The group that received the mixture of clove and zucchini blossoms, especially at the 10% dose, showed the greatest protective effects against diabetic complications across all treatments. These results indicate that moderate intake of clove and zucchini blossoms, whether alone or combined, may provide notable therapeutic and nutraceutical benefits for managing DM and related conditions.

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