Tehran University of Medical Sciences Acta Medica Iranica 0044-6025 49 5 2011 05 15 277 283 EN Mohammd Reza Shahraki Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran. Mehdi Harati Departments of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran. Ahamd Reza Shahraki Faculty of Medicine, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Member of Young Researches Club of Zahedan Azad University, Zahedan, Iran. 2015 09 28 Tamarindus indica is used as a traditional treatment for diabetes. To elucidate whether Tamarindus indica seed aqueous extract (TSE) ameliorates metabolic syndrome in hyperinsulinemic rats, we evaluated serum insulin, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL), and glucose levels in fructose-fed rats. Animals were divided into three groups; control (C) receiving tap water, fructose-fed (F) and TSE-treated fructose-fed rats (F-T) both receiving tap water supplemented with 10% (w/v) fructose. Water was prepared every day for a period of 8 weeks for all three groups. F-T rats were fed with TSE via gavage feeding at the dose of 20 mg/0.5 ml distilled water/100 g body weight per day. Fasting serum glucose levels of three groups were comparable. TSE treatment prevented the increase in fasting serum insulin, TG, TC, VLDL, and LDL in the F-T group (P<0.01) when comparing with the F group. Fructose feeding led to a decrease in fasting serum DHEAS, and HDL levels in the F group (P<0.01) compared with the control. TSE treatment prevented the decrease in fasting serum DHEAS, and HDL levels in the F-T group (P<0.01) while these results were not seen in control rats. It is indicated that the hyperinsulinemia in fructosefed insulin resistant rats are associated with low levels of DHEAS, and HDL; and high levels of TC, VLDL, LDL, and TG. TSE supplementation probably ameliorates metabolic syndrome due to the improved insulin action. https://acta.tums.ac.ir/index.php/acta/article/view/3739 https://acta.tums.ac.ir/index.php/acta/article/download/3739/3714