Potentials of Combined Aqueous Extracts of Ginger, Garlic, and Lemon Juice in Controlling Obesity and Diabetes Mellitus in Albino Rats

Abstract

Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus frequently co-occur and are managed with pharmacological agents that, despite efficacy, are often associated with adverse effects and limited accessibility in resource-constrained settings, motivating continued interest in plant-based adjunct therapies. This study evaluated the combined aqueous extract of ginger (Zingiber officinale), garlic (Allium sativum), and lemon (Citrus limon) juice for effects on body weight, fasting blood glucose, and lipid profile in a high-fat-diet and streptozotocin-induced model of obesity and diabetes in albino rats. Thirty adult male Wistar rats were assigned to five groups (n = 6): normal control, obese-diabetic untreated control, obese-diabetic treated with metformin (500 mg/kg), and obese-diabetic treated with the combined extract at 250 mg/kg or 500 mg/kg body weight, administered orally once daily for 28 days. Body weight and fasting blood glucose were measured at days 0, 14, 21, and 28; lipid profile was determined at day 28. The untreated obese-diabetic group showed significantly elevated body weight, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein, alongside reduced high-density lipoprotein, relative to normal controls (p < .05). Both extract doses significantly attenuated weight gain and hyperglycemia relative to the untreated obese-diabetic group in a dose-dependent manner, with the 500 mg/kg dose producing glycemic and lipid improvements approaching those of metformin and, for total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein specifically, exceeding metformin's effect. These findings suggest that the combined ginger-garlic-lemon extract possesses meaningful antiobesity, antihyperglycemic, and lipid-modulating potential and may warrant further investigation as a complementary phytotherapeutic approach to managing obesity-associated type 2 diabetes.