Effect of Spirulina (Spirulina platensis) on Blood Glucose Level and Renal Impairment in Diabetic Rats

Spirulina (S. platensis) is a blue-green alga with medicinal and nutritional interest due to its richness in nutrientsas well as acts a hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, and antioxidant activities. This study aimed to examine the effect of spirulina against streptozotocin (STZ) induced hyperglycemic associated with kidney impairment in rats. Thirty-five rats were randomly divided into two main groups: The first main group (n= 7) were fed on basal diet onlyduring the experiment and kept as the negative control group (-ve), the second main group " induced diabetic rats" (n=28) were divided into four subgroups as follow: the first subgroup was fed on basal diet and served as a positive control group (+ve). Groups (2, 3 and 4) were fed on basal diet supplemented with dried spirulina at the level of 2.5%, 5% and 7 %, respectively. At the end of the experimental period (8 weeks), rats were sacrificed and blood samples were collected to obtain serum. The results indicated that spirulina contains proteins (56.80 %) and fat (8.16 %) in addition to several minerals and vitamins. Spirulina supplementation significantly increase the final body weight, feed efficiency ratio and body weight gain % values compared to the +ve control rats. Diabetic treated rats had a significant increase (P<0.05) in insulin concentration and lower glucose levels as well as an improvement in kidney functions. Besides, spirulina significantly (P<0.05) reduced serum lipid profile, diminished the Malondahyde and enhanced glutathione peroxidase concentrations. Conclusion: The findings suggest that oral spirulina platensis could have a potential protective role for managing induced painful diabetic neuropathy in rats.