South Asian Research Journal of Natural Products

Antioxidant and oxidative stress effects of prooxidants are generally dose-dependent, depending on the prooxidant species and cell type. However, the cellular response to oxidant challenge is a complicated interplay of events involving cellular expression of phase II detoxification enzymes and cellular metal metabolism. The study aimed to determine tert-butylhydroquinone's effect on oxidative stress indices in high fructose-challenged rats' skeletal muscles. A total of thirty (30) experimental rats were used in this study and weighed between 150 to 183 g. The rats were grouped into four (4) groups. Group, I (control) received distilled water and standard rat pellets. Group II (disease or fructose drinking group) received 21% of fructose drinking water (w/v) and standard rat pellets. Group III (Positive control or metformin group) received 21% of fructose drinking water and oral administration of metformin (300 mg/kg body weight daily), group IV (Test group): received 21% of fructose drinking water and 1% tert-butylhydroquinone feed. The rats were fed for 49 days (7 weeks). Preparation of skeletal muscle homogenates and assay of biochemical parameters were carried out. From our results, there was a non-significant elevation/decrease for all enzymes; thus, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity in the skeletal muscles of rats at (P>0.05) when compared to the control. MDA and GST activity expressed upregulation, while SOD and CAT expressed downregulation. TBHQ can ameliorate insulin resistance in the skeletal muscle of high fructose challenged rats, providing evidence for TBHQ's clinical use to treat T2DM.