Molecular and biochemical responses in Wistar rats treated with extracts from a hyperglycemia and diabetes-associated therapeutic Hensia crinita

• Heinsia crinita produced hyperglycemic and related therapeutic responses in Wistar rats. • Heinsia crinita lowered fasting blood glucose (FBG) and increased body weight in diabetic rats. • Heinsia crinita reduced insulin-responsive glucose transporter ( ir-glut ) and leptin in diabetic rats. • Heinsia crinita and melatonin (MET) increased plasma estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) levels. • Heinsia crinita and melatonin (MET) reduced inflammatory markers and liver enzyme activities. Diabetes, marked by insulin resistance, disrupts metabolic processes and causes significant complications. Herbal remedies are increasingly recognized for their potential in diabetes management, particularly in developing countries. To study the effects of Hensia crinita ( H. crinita ) extract on hyperglycemia and related therapeutic responses in Wistar rats. Type 2 diabetes was induced with 10% fructose diet and 40 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ). Thereafter, diabetic rats were treated with H. crinita leaf extracts at 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight, twice daily for 21 days. We used metformin (MET: 500 mg/kg body weight) treated rats as a positive control group. Our results showed that H. crinita extract significantly lowered fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels and increased body weight in diabetic rats. Molecular analysis revealed reductions in mRNA expression for insulin-responsive glucose transporter ( ir-glut ), leptin , proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 ( pcsk9 ), cardiac troponin ( crt ), estrogen receptor 1 ( esr-1 ), fatty acid synthase ( fasn ) and melatonin (mt) in treated rats, compared to controls. Furthermore, hepatic biochemical analysis showed that AST, ALT, ALP and γ-GGT increased in diabetic control animal and H. crinita produced decreases that paralleled melatonin effects. Additionally, H. crinita treatment increased plasma estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) levels and significantly reduced inflammatory markers, and these responses were comparable to MET effects. These findings suggest that H. crinita exerts anti-hyperglycemic effects by modulating inflammation, hormonal balance, and key glucose metabolic enzymes, representing a potential therapeutic agent for diabetes treatment.