Abstract
Diabetes mellitus has become a significant global health concern in recent years, making the search for new plant-based antidiabetic drugs increasingly important. Sesame, a medicinal herb, is known for its numerous benefits, including its hypoglycemic effects. The present study aimed to evaluate and compare the antidiabetic effects of sesame oil, the antidiabetic drug dapagliflozin, and their combination in a rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In this study, 60 male albino rats were divided into six equal groups. Group I served as the control group, while Group II was treated with 1 g/kg of sesame oil daily. The remaining four groups comprised diabetic rats: Group III, the positive control group, did not receive any treatment, and Group IV was also given 1 g/kg of sesame oil daily. Group V received 1 mg/kg of dapagliflozin daily, while Group VI was administered both sesame oil and dapagliflozin daily. After six weeks, the diabetic rats exhibited significant increases in blood glucose, amylin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL, and VLDL levels. Conversely, they showed notable reductions in insulin, c-peptide, and HDL levels. Additionally, pancreatic histopathology revealed shrunken islets with abnormal architecture in the diabetic group compared to the control group. In contrast, the administration of sesame oil and dapagliflozin improved these parameters. Our results suggest that in the type 2 diabetes rat model, sesame oil administration improved serum parameters and reduced pancreatic damage, achieving effects comparable to those of dapagliflozin treatment. However, the combination of both treatments demonstrated superior benefits.

Key words: Herbal medicine, oxidative stress, antioxidants, histopathology, insulin resistance