Olive leaves and ginger rhizomes are examples of medicinal plants that have been used, separately, for the management of different ailments. Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that is prevalent around the whole world and is significant among adults in Middle Eastern countries. The effect of the combined mixture of olive leaves and ginger rhizome aqueous extracts has not been previously studied for its hypoglycemic effect, nor for its effect on gut microbiota in the diabetes-induced rat model. This study aims to elucidate the potential effect of the orally ingested combination of the aqueous extract of olive leaves and ginger rhizome on the gut microbiota in both healthy and diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of alloxan monohydrate, and the aqueous extracts were prepared in the same homemade preparation method. Each extract and subsequent combination were given separately at a dose of 500 mg/kg per day, with or without insulin (6 IU/kg) for 7 days, to every rat in the different groups. Fasting blood glucose was carried out to evaluate the diabetic state, and fecal samples were collected at different time points for 16s rRNA gene sequencing. The combination of extracts increased bacterial diversity in general and raised the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in both healthy and diabetic rats. Moreover, while it increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Prevotella, it decreased the relative abundance of Clostridium and Bacteroides in healthy rats. These results have positive effects on the management of diabetes, by increasing short-chain fatty acid production, which can suppress the appetite and prevent damage to pancreatic cells. This study underlines the additional benefits of using herbal extracts to retain dysbiosis and improve gut microbiota.
Key words: Diabetes Mellites, Gut microbiota, olive leaves extracts, Ginger rhizome extract, prebiotic effect, short-chain fatty acid production
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