Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research

The study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of curcumin on blood glucose level and neurobehavioral response in Alloxan-induced diabetic Swiss Albino mice. The animals were divided into five groups of four each (n=4). Group I served as control and received distilled water, group II, III, IV and V were diabetic and received olive oil 1 mL/kg, glibenclamide 1 mg/kg, curcumin 50 mg/kg and curcumin 100 mg/kg respectively. Diabetes was induced by injection of alloxan 150 mg/kg intraperitoneally. All administrations were done via oral gavage for duration of 21 days. Oxidative stress biomarkers (catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase) and lipid peroxidation (MDA) were assayed using standard assay kits and cognitive impairment was determined using spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze. The results of the Y- maze significantly increase the spontaneous alteration percentage in spatial working memory at the dose of 100 mg/kg curcumin when compared to diabetic control. As regards to the oxidative stress biomarkers administration of 50 and 100 mg/kg b.w curcumin significantly increase the level of catalase as compared to diabetic control. Furthermore, there was a significantly increase in the level of superoxide dismutase at the dose of 100 mg/kg as compared to the control. However, there was a significant decrease in the malondialdehyde (MDA) level as compared with the control. Also when compared with the standard drug glibenclamide with the two doses of circumin, there was a significant decrease in the MDA level. This study demonstrated that curcumin at a dose of 100 mg/kg significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated diabetes-induced cognitive impairment in the Y- maze. It may be concluded that oral administration of cucurmin for 21 days increases spontaneous alteration in spatial working memory, and has protective effects against oxidative stress biomarkers in alloxan induces diabetes.