Investigating the Synergistic Effect of Chamaecostus cuspidatus Leaf Extract and para-Coumaric Acid on Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Nephropathy in Wistar Rats

The research investigation aims to examine the impairment of endothelial function in a Wistar rat model of insulin-resistant diabetes mellitus triggered by a high-fat diet and administration of 40mg/kg streptozotocin. Chamaecostus cuspidatus leaf extract, para-coumaric acid and a combination of para-coumaric acid and Chamaecostus cuspidatus leaf extract were administered to diabetic animals. A standard control group was administered 100mg/kg of metformin. Interestingly, the findings of this investigation indicated that Chamaecostus cuspidatus extract treatment effectively regulated glucose levels (P < 0.05), while para-coumaric acid reduced lipoprotein levels (P < 0.0001), the combination showed effectively regulated hematological parameters and increased the antioxidant efficacy (P < 0.0001). Moreover, this combined treatment has also been observed to enhance antioxidant enzymes of SOD, CAT, GSH and GPX activities and also prevent lipid peroxidation and ROS levels in the kidney tissue. The histopathology results of the kidney renal cells revealed that the administration of synergistic treatment led to a decrease in inflammation of a lower grade as well as a recovered endothelium layer. The experiment revealed that the synergy between Chamaecostus cuspidatus and para-coumaric acid regulates biochemical characteristics and enhances antioxidants, thus suggesting an effective treatment for diabetic nephropathy.