# Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) Curves of Water and Ethanol Extracts of Whole Body Apis mellifera jemenitica

## TL;DR

This study examines the effects of water and ethanol extracts from Yemeni honeybees on blood sugar levels in rabbits, finding that the water extract lowers glucose levels.

## Contribution

The study identifies the chemical composition of honeybee extracts and demonstrates the water extract's anti-diabetic potential through glucose tolerance tests.

## Key findings

- Water extract contains 38 compounds, including bioactive molecules like dipeptides and phenolics.
- Water extract lowers blood glucose and changes GTT curve shape in rabbits.
- Ethanol extract contains fewer compounds and lacks the same glucose-lowering effect.

## Abstract

This article explored the chemical constituents of water and ethanol extracts from the whole body of
Apis mellifera jemenitica honeybee drones and workers, investigating their effects on glucose tolerance test (GTT) curves through feeding experiments conducted on
Oryctolagus cuniculus male rabbits.

Chemical analysis of the extracts was performed using infrared (IR) spectroscopy alongside the spectral database of organic compounds.

The water extract revealed a richer diversity of natural products (38 compounds) compared to the ethanol extract (12 compounds). Notably, the water extract comprised various bioactive molecules, including sugars and their derivatives, phenolic compounds, alkaloids, quinones, amino acid derivatives, dipeptides, and organometallic compounds. In contrast, the ethanol extract primarily contained sugar derivatives, phenolic compounds, alkaloids, and pesticides. The water extract decreased the blood glucose level and transformed the GTT curve from a convex to a concave shape.

The blood glucose-lowering effect of the water extract may be attributed to the anti-diabetic properties of its dipeptides, phenolic compounds and alkaloid contents.