| dc.description.abstract | Diabetes Mellitus is a major global health issue, affecting over 463 million adults in the world.
Metformin is the standard drug administered to most people suffering fromdiabetes; however, this
medication is contraindicated in many individuals, like most of the medicines developed to combat
diabetes. Many diabetic patients turn to herbal medicines due to their renowned traditional use and
fewer side effects.While the beneficial effects of phytotherapy are very evident, separation of nontoxic
from toxic phytochemicals is still a challenge. Phytonanotherapy is a branch in
nanotechnology that seeks to find the middle ground between the fast-acting mechanism of
conventional drugs which also present with long lasting or severe toxic side effects, and the slowacting
mechanism of phytotherapy which presents with less severe side effects. As such, the aim
of this study was to pioneer the investigation of gold nanoparticles biosynthesized using the
Carprobrotus edulis fruit aqueous extract (CeFe-AuNPs) as potential treatment for diabetes
mellitus.
Previously optimized conditions were used to synthesize CeFe-AuNPs which were concurrently
characterized using UV-Vis, dynamic light scattering, High Resolution – Transmission Electron
Microscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy techniques. The physichochemical
stability of CeFe-AuNPs in phosphate buffer saline, 0.5 % bovine serum albumin, water and 10 %
NaCl was also investigated. The effect of CeFe and CeFe-AuNPs on glucose uptake by yeast cells
was investigated using 5, 10 and 25 mM glucose reactions. Acute toxicity of CeFe and CeFe-
AuNPs was conducted in female Wistar rats (n = 20) and major organs were analyzed through the
haematoxylin-eosin stain. The anti-diabetic effects of the CeFe (200 and 400 mg/kg) and CeFe-
AuNPs (100 and 200 mg/kg) were investigated in male Wistar rats divided into seven group (n =
6). Histopathology of the pancreas, and the serum insulin were determined. | en_US |
