Effect of Achyranthes Aspera (Linn) Seeds on Membrane-Bound ATPases in Selected Tissues of Rats Fed with High Doses of Fructose

A high consumption of fructose diet alters the activities of membrane-bound ATPases in erythrocytes and tissues. In our earlier studies, we found that the Achyranthes aspera (A. aspera) extract decreased the hepatic lipid peroxidation without increasing the antioxidant enzymes and indicating the direct free radical scavenging action of the plant extract. In this study, we evaluated the influence of A. aspera seed extract on high fructose induced alterations in the activities of membrane bound ATPases in rats. For the experiments, adult male wistar rats were made insulin resistance (IR) by feeding them high fructose diet for 45 days and A. aspera was administered last 15 days to test its effects. In our study, the high fructose fed increased the levels of glucose, body weight, HbA1c and decreased level of plasma insulin and decreased the activities of total ATPases, (Na⁺+K⁺)-ATPase, low affinity Ca²⁺-ATPase and Mg²⁺-ATPase in erythrocytes and tissues. Administration of A. aspera ameliorated the high fructose induced alterations of blood glucose level and changes in the activities of membrane-bound ATPases. Thus, our results show that the A. aspera normalises the activities of membrane-bound ATPases in various tissues, which could be mainly due to improved glycemic control by A. aspera.