Researchers from the University of Sfax in Tunisia have found that the extract derived from artichoke leaves (Cynara scolymus) has anti-hyperglycemic properties. The study, published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, looked at the protective effects of an ethanol extract from the plant's leaves in an alloxan-induced rat model for stress and organ dysfunction in the kidney, liver, and pancreas.

• For the study, 40 male Wistar rats were given a single-dose injection of alloxan to induce diabetes. These were then treated either with C. scolymus extract (200 to 400 milligrams per kilogram of body weight) or acarbose for one month.
• The physicochemical composition of the ethanol extract was determined using biochemical analysis, antioxidant activity, and histological study.
• From the results, rats that have been treated with C. scolymus extract exhibited notable reductions in their alpha-amylase levels and blood glucose rate, compared to diabetic groups. In addition, these have significantly lower plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein levels than those in the diabetic group.
• Moreover, C. scolymus extract possessed antioxidant activity based on increases in the CAT, SOD and GSH levels in the liver, kidney, and pancreas of diabetic rats.

The findings revealed that the anti-hyperglycemic properties of artichoke leaves are, in part, due to its antioxidant and hypolipidemic effects.

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