Antidiabetic Effect of Aspalathus Linearis and Danio Rerio

Rooibos can help fight skin, liver, colon, and oesophageal cancers, as well as diabetes and obesity. With the help of our zebrafish model, we prove that rooibos tea can be effective drug treatment for diabetic patients.

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What is Green Rooibos Tea?

Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) meaning “red bush” is a member of the plant family Fabaceae that grows in South Africa. Their leaves are used to make an herbal tea that is called by the names: rooibos (especially in Southern Africa), bush tea, red tea, or redbush tea. Since the 2000s has gained popularity internationally because of its good antioxidant and cardiovascular properties, the tea has an earthy flavor, similar to yerba mate or tobacco.

Polyphenols present in Rooibos:

Why it can be a Good Pharmaceutical or Nutraceutical Product?

Its antioxidant, antimutagenic, anti-steatotic, and anti-inflammatory properties protect cells from DNA damage and fight free radicals. Rooibos can help fight skin, liver, colon, and oesophageal cancers, as well as diabetes and obesity. While traditional red rooibos has many of the same benefits as green rooibos, research show that the green kind may suppress cancer cell growth at faster rate.

Our Zebrafish Model and Analysing Parameters:

1. ADULT

A group of 9 healthy male fish was taken and diabetes models were made with the help of alloxan induction for 10 days. After ten days compound induction of polyphenolic extract of rooibos red tea at a 900μg/ml, 20mg/ml, 50mg/ml for D1, D2, D3 is done, and metformin for control. We have done light and dark assay, startle response, locomotor, memory maize test behavior assay to assess neurological problems. we have done a fine regeneration study to check wound healing activity and a fecundity study to check the reproduction outcome.

2. LARVAE

On a 96 well plate (10–25 μg ml−1) polyphenolic extract of rooibos was exposed to 1hour or 24 hours diazepam for control. We tracked the larvae behavior with light and dark assay and did ROS biochemical assay with the help of H2O2 to check the antioxidant activity.

Discussion:

Compared with D1, D2. D3 has shown similar properties as control this proves that this extract can be an effective nutraceutical for controlling diabetes and obesity. Its polyphenolic extract has reduced anxiety on our model and also showed good wound healing properties on fin regeneration, also we noticed a high fecundity rate with more than 500 healthy eggs .on larvae ROS assay because of its high polyphenolic content it is effective in inhibiting intracellular ROS production.

Conclusion:

ROOIBOS will not only be good in treating diabetic and anxiety , its antioxidant asplathin reduce risk of vascular inflammation and atherosclerosis which are both factors that play a role in the development of heart problems .it also controls high blood sugar levels .its phytochemical analysis showed it has low tannin content which will not hinder the body’s iron absorbing ability, it has no caffeine content which makes it suitable to consume for people who suffers side effects of caffeine, its rich antioxidant property can help improve liver function and digestive problem and also hinders good ski. With the help of our zebrafish model we prove that rooibos tea can be effective drug treatment for diabetic patients.

Zebrafish Studies:

Toxicology study in adult zebrafish
Modeling in zebrafish study
Toxicology study in larvae
Infection model in zebrafish
zebrafish fertility study
zebrafish neurology model