Background Diabetes has been considered as one of the fastest growing epidemic worldwide; the number of people with diabetes is estimated to increase from 381.8 million in 2013 to 591.9 million in 2030. Oxidative stress in diabetic tissues is accompanied by high level of free radicals and the simultaneously declined antioxidant enzymes status leading to cell membrane damage. In the present study, the effect of sodium orthovanadate (SOV) and Trigonella foenum graecum seed powder (TSP) administration has been studied on blood glucose and insulin levels, antioxidant enzymes, lipid peroxidation, lipofuscin and DNA degradation, distribution of glucose transporter (glut 2, glut4) in liver tissues of the alloxan-induced diabetic rats and to see whether the treatment with SOV and TSP is capable of reversing these effects. Materials and methods Diabetes was induced by administration of alloxan monohydrate (15 mg/100 gm b.wt.) and rats were treated with 2IU insulin, 0.6 mg/ml SOV, 5% TSP in the diet and a combination of 0.2 mg/ml SOV with 5% TSP separately for 21 days. Control animals were given only the vehicle. Results Diabetic rats showed hyperglycemia with almost four-fold high blood glucose levels. Hyperglycemia increases lipid peroxidation and DNA degradation, causing decreased activities of membrane-bound ATPases, antioxidant enzymes and glucose transporter expression with diabetes in the rat liver. Rats treated with a combined dose of SOV and TSP had glucose levels comparable to controls, similar results were obtained with the activities of antioxidant enzymes, membrane-bound ATPases, DNA degradation, lipid peroxidation and glucose transporter in the liver of diabetic rats. Conclusions Our results showed that lower doses of vanadate (0.2 mg/ml) could be used in combination with Trigonella to effectively counter diabetic alterations without any toxic side effects. Therefore combined therapy can indeed be considered a better alternative to being explored further as a means of diabetic control.
