Antidiabetic Activity of Amaranthus hybridus Leaf-based Diet in High-fat Diet and Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic condition marked by persistent hyperglycemia, which arises from insulin resistance and impaired pancreatic β-cell function. In folk medicine, Amaranthus hybridus leaves are utilized for the management of diabetes, and previous studies on its ethanolic extract and ethyl acetate fraction have validated this ethnomedicinal claim. The side effects and poor adherence associated with conventional antidiabetic drugs highlight the need for alternative, diet-based therapies to enhance compliance and improve T2DM management. This study evaluated the effects of an Amaranthus hybridus leaf-based diet (AHLBD) on a diabetic rat model induced by a high-fat diet and streptozotocin (35 mg/kg b.w). For four weeks, six groups (A-F) received specific treatments: the non-diabetic control group (distilled water), diabetic control (distilled water), metformin-treated group (100 mg/kg b.w), and AHLBD groups receiving 5%, 10%, and 20% inclusion levels, respectively. A significant improvement (p < 0.05) in glycemic level, hepatic glycogen, HOMA-IR, glycosylated hemoglobin, plasma insulin, and HOMA-β cell function was observed following treatment with AHLBD. (p < 0.05) (p < 0.05) . Notably, the 10% AHLBD group exhibited comparable effects to those observed in the metformin-treated and control groups. The study concludes that a 10% AHLBD demonstrated superior antidiabetic potential and may serve as a promising functional food for T2DM therapy.