Moringa oleifera leaf extract plus rosiglitazone regulate serum leptin, glucose and lipid metabolism in type 2 diabetic rats

Background: To investigate the effects of Moringa oleifera leaf extract (MOLE) plus rosiglitazone (RSG) on glucose and lipid metabolism and serum leptin in type 2 diabetic (T2D) rats. Methods: Sixty male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into six groups: normal, model, RSG, low- and high-dose MOLE, and MOLE+RSG. The normal group was fed a standard rat diet, whereas the other groups were given a single intraperitoneal injection of low-dose streptozomycin and fed a high‐sugar and high‐fat diet. After 8 weeks, we found that, compared with the normal group, the model group showed significantly increased levels of blood glucose, blood lipids, serum leptin, free fatty acid (FFA), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Results: Compared with the model group, the RSG, low-dose MOLE, and high-dose MOLE groups displayed effective control of blood glucose, blood lipids, serum leptin, FFA, and TNF-α. The MOLE+RSG group surpassed the RSG group in the regulation of glucose, lipid metabolism, and serum leptin levels in T2D rats. In addition, the MOLE+RSG group was superior to the RSG group in activating the AKT/GSK3β/β‐Catenin pathway. Conclusion: MOLE combined with RSG can effectively reduce blood glucose and lipid levels in T2D rats.