International Journal of Medical Laboratory

Background and Aims: Ferula Assafoetida is an antioxidant plant which has long been used in Iranian traditional medicine. Recently, it has been reported to have hypoglycemic and hyperinsulinemic effects, but the molecular mechanism of this effect have not been sufficiently described. This study was a step to evaluate the molecular mechanism of Ferula assafoetida action as an antihyperglycemic agent. For this purpose, some signling pathways of the hypoglycemic effect of its extract using C2C12 mouse cell line were examined.

Materials and Methods: C2C12 cells were differentiated in DMEM medium supplemented with 2% heat inactivated horse serum, and treated with 10 µg/ml extract of assafoetida in presence or absence of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI-3K) inhibitor. The concentration of Glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) in cytosol and cytoplasmic membrane were determined using SDS–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and western blotting analyses.

Results: Data indicated that assafoetida treatment increases translocation of the GLUT4 to the cell membrane in C2C12 cell line via PI3K/Akt signaling pathway activation.

Conclusions: our finding indicated that assafoetida has a potential antidiabetic effect and may be considered as antidiabetic drug.