AUTHOR=Ayuob Nasra , Al-Shathly Mona Ramadan , Bakhshwin Abdulaziz , Al-Abbas Nouf Saeed , Shaer Nehad A , Al Jaouni Soad , Hamed Walaa H. E. 

TITLE=p53 Rather Than β-Catenin Mediated the Combined Hypoglycemic Effect of Cinnamomum cassia (L.) and Zingiber officinale Roscoe in the Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Model

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.664248

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2021.664248

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=Background: The hypoglycemic, insulin- enhancing and antioxidant effects of ginger and cinnamon were previously confirmed in experimental and human studies; however, the effect of combined administration of them was not thoroughly investigated until now. 
Objectives: This study was designed to assess the antidiabetic effect of combined ginger (Gingiber officinale) and cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia) administration in Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic Spraque-Dawley rats compared to metformin, and to explain the mechanism behind this effect. 
Materials & methods: STZ was utilized to induce diabetes mellitus in male Spraque-Dawley rats. The effect of combined ginger and cinnamon was compared to that of metformin-treated and untreated diabetic rats. Measurements of fasting blood glucose level (BGL), the total anti-oxidant capacity (TAC), serum insulin and HOMA-IR and HOMA-β cell were performed. Gene expression of β-catenin and p53 in pancreatic tissue was assessed using RT-PCR. Assessment of the pancreatic histopathological alternation was performed using routine and immunohistochemical techniques. 
Results: BGL significantly decreased (p=0.01) while serum insulin and TAC significantly increased (p<0.001) in metformin-and ginger plus cinnamon-treated groups in comparison to the untreated diabetic group. HOMA-β-cell index significantly increased (p=0.001) in ginger plus cinnamon indicating their enhancing effect on insulin section in diabetic conditions. Gene expression of p53 was significantly up-regulated (p<0.001) while β-catenin was insignificantly down-regulated (p=0.32) in ginger plus cinnamon-treated groups. Insulin immunoexpression in β cells showed a significant increase (p=0.001, p=0.004) in metformin- and ginger plus cinnamon-treated groups.
Conclusion: The combined administration of ginger and cinnamon has a significant hypoglycemic and antioxidant effect in STZ-induced diabetes mellitus mostly through enhancing repair of islet cells mediated via up-regulation of pancreatic p53 expression. Therefore, testing this effect in diabetic patients is recommended.