Evaluation of the effect of dry green tea and Ginkgo Biloba leaves extract on diabetic kidney lesions

Abstract

Dry extracts of Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo biloba L.) and green tea (made from Camellia sinensis L.) leaves are usually used for treatment and prophylactic purposes. These extracts have strong antioxidant properties and can be used to reduce oxidative stress. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus ant its complications. The mu,ber of scientific studies has increased over the past decade, proving the antioxidant properties of Ginkgo biloba and green tea extracts. However, it has not been determined whether the aforementioned extracts can inhibit lesions caused by the oxidative stress in patients with diabetes mellitus, and thus slow the development of diabetic kidney lesions. The aim of the research was to evaluate the effect of dry Ginkgo biloba leaves extract (EGB) and dry green tea extract (ECS) on the diabetic kidney tissue damage. This research is a part of international "Eureka" project "E!3695" "Creation of the methodology for effects of natural antioxidants on the development of the Diabetes mellitus complications" financially supported by the European Social Fund Agency, Lithuania according to the "Human Resource Development Action Program", project No. VP1-3.1-SMM-06-V-01-003. Methods: A double-blind placebo-controlled prospective biomedical trial was carried out at Clinic of Endocrinology of the Hospital of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU) Kauno klinikos. The duration of the trial was 18 months. Subjects diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (treated with insulin, metformin, or a combination of both) aged from 35 years to 80 years and followed up for diabetic nephropathy were enrolled into the study. All patients were randomised into groups, and were treated with green tea extract capsules (200 mg of green tea extract, containing 173 mg or 168,4 mg of polyphenols per capsule (Lot No. 010609, EXP 06.2011 and Lot No. 020611, EXP 06.2013, respectively) (JSC Sanitas, Lithuania) (the ECS [...].