Antidiabetic and antioxidant effect of magnetic and noble metal nanoparticles of Clitoria ternatea

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic endocrine disorder associated with diabetic complications that result in microvascular and macrovascular complications due to oxidative stress, neurodegeneration, and peripheral cell damage. Oxidative stress is characterized by the development of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which progresses by hampering antioxidant enzyme activities. Phytomolecules from different plant sources like leaves, flowers, fruits, etc are reported to possess super-antioxidant properties. Hence these phytomolecules can be good leads in the treatment and management of diabetes. Metal nanoparticles have evolved to increase the potency, efficacy, and safety of different drug delivery systems owing to their superior physicochemical properties. This research work is designed for the synthesis of magnetic and noble metal nanoparticles by green synthesis of fresh flower aqueous extract of Clitoria ternatea. A mechanistic evaluation of the magnetic (cobalt oxide) and noble metal (gold) nanoparticles has been designed by in-vitro and in-vivo models of a streptozotocin-induced diabetes model. The cobalt oxide and gold nanoparticles showed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the diabetic enzyme levels (alpha-amylase, alpha-glucosidase, and xanthine oxidase). In vitro and in vivo studies of the antioxidant activity of both nanoparticles also revealed the increased potential of antioxidant activity. In-vivo studies of both nanoparticles exhibited anti-diabetic properties by significantly enhancing the level of insulin. The cholesterol profiling of both nanoparticles proved the reduction of levels of serum cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, VLDL, LDL, and creatinine content signifying the decreasing risk of macrovascular complications associated with diabetes. However, gold nanoparticles produced a more protective effect as compared to cobalt oxide nanoparticles. The study concludes that the magnetic and gold nanoparticles conjugated with Clitoria ternatea exhibited potential anti-diabetic and antioxidant activities in a streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model.