the antioxidant potential and antihyperlipidemic activity of myristica fragrans seed (nutmeg) extract in diabetic rats

Background: the present study aimed to assess the phenolic content and in-vitro antioxidant capacity of the petroleum ether extract of nutmeg, as well as its antioxidant and antihyperlipidemic activities in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. methods: forty-eight male rats were allocated into six groups of eight each: non-diabetic control, diabetic control, and diabetic rats receiving 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg of the nutmeg petroleum ether extract or 100 mg/kg metformin. the in vitro antioxidant activity of the extract was determined using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (dpph) assay. total phenolic and flavonoid contents were estimated using folin-ciocalteu and aluminum chloride colorimetric methods, respectively. results: the nutmeg extract contained considerable levels of phenols (112.41 mg gae/100 g) and flavonoids (26.12 mg qe/100 g) and showed a remarkable scavenging effect on the dpph radicals with the ic50 value of 123.36 𝜇g/ml. the administration of the nutmeg extract (100 and 200 mg/kg) to the diabetic rats caused a significant reduction in the serum levels of malondialdehyde, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein, while a significant increase was observed in the total antioxidant capacity and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol serum levels. conclusion: according to the results, nutmeg extract is an abundant source of natural antioxidants, which might have beneficial effects on patients with diabetes mellitus develop educational packages.