Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is amongst the most severe incurable diseases affecting a huge number of people everywhere in the world. Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the main cause for kidney disease, possibly due to the lack of appropriate DN treatments. The current study is to assess the role of Lagerstroemia speciosa extract (LSE) in the mitigation of DN in a streptozotocin rat model of hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia. The animal model of DN was induced in Sprague Dawley rats by administering streptozotocin and fed on a western diet for six weeks. The administration of LSE treatment at a dose of 400 mg/kg for six weeks. LSE showed a significant decline in enhanced biochemical parameters, for instance, glucose level, creatinine, and lipid profile. LSE treatment lowered the enhanced albumin level. The advanced glycation end-product level in kidneys was significantly reduced along with augmentation in the glutathione level and a decrease in lipid peroxidation. The inflammatory markers were also reduced considerably. Thus, LSE treatment effectively protects against streptozotocin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. LSE might act as a possible adjuvant for DN therapy and needs to be investigated further.