The growing interest in peripheral nerve regeneration and developing post-traumatic repair methods under diabetes was the impetus for this study, which aims to investigate the effect of curcumin and Garcinia kola (GK) on the transected and diabetic sciatic nerves. Thirty-five male Wistar albino rats were used. The animals were divided into five groups; each consisted of seven rats. The sciatic nerve was transected in all groups of rats except the control (Cont) group, which underwent no treatment. In the transected animals, a 10 mm nerve stump was removed from the 2 cm distal to the sciatic notch. The external jugular vein was used as a conduit to repair the gap between the two ends of the sciatic nerve. Diabetes was induced in the transected + diabetes mellitus (T + DM), the transected + diabetes mellitus + GK (T + DM + GK), and the transected + diabetes mellitus + Curcumin (T + DM + Cur) groups except for the sham group. A dose of 300 mg kg⁻¹ d⁻¹ of curcumin dissolved in olive oil was administered to the T + DM + Cur group (via oral gavage every day for 28 d) and 200 mg kg⁻¹ d⁻¹ of GK to the T + DM + GK group (via oral gavage every day for 7 d). All animals were sacrificed after three months. Stereological analysis and functional and microscopic evaluations were done to evaluate the sciatic nerve regeneration and function. In the T + DM + GK and the sham groups, the number of axons increased. A slight improvement in the axonal area in the T + DM + Cur and the sham groups was also observed, and an increase in the myelin sheath thickness was found in the T + DM + GK and the sham group. When the SFI test results were evaluated, it was seen that GK had a stronger effect than curcumin in terms of functional regeneration. Additionally, no significant difference was observed between T + DM and Cont groups when the electrophysiological results were examined. The study showed GK’s efficiency in treating diabetic peripheral nerve regeneration.

Background/Objectives: Diabetes mellitus is known to exacerbate neural degeneration and impair regenerative capacity following injury. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Garcinia kola and curcumin on spinal cord morphology and neural structure in a diabetic sciatic nerve injury model. Methods: Spinal cord tissues were obtained from male Wistar albino rats subjected to sciatic nerve transection and diabetes induction in a previously established experimental model. Animals had been assigned to five experimental groups (n = 7 per group): control group, transected sciatic nerve group, transected sciatic nerve + diabetes mellitus (DM), transected sciatic nerve + diabetes mellitus + curcumin (DM + Cur), and transected sciatic nerve + diabetes mellitus + Garcinia kola (DM + GK). Curcumin (300 mg/kg/day) and Garcinia kola (200 mg/kg/day) were administered orally. All animals were sacrificed at three months post-injury. Cervical (C3–C5) spinal cord segments were processed for histological evaluation, and quantitative assessments were performed using unbiased stereological methods to estimate neuronal and structural parameters. Microscopic analyses were conducted to assess morphological alterations. Results: Diabetes combined with sciatic nerve transection induced marked structural alterations in the spinal cord, including reductions in neuronal density and disruption of tissue organization. The DM group showed a significantly lower number of motor neurons than the other groups; similarly, it showed a significant decrease in soma area compared to the Cont and Sham groups. Conclusions: Both the curcumin and Garcinia kola treatment groups exhibited partial preservation of spinal cord morphology. This study provides evidence that Garcinia kola and curcumin exert protective effects not only at the peripheral nerve level, but also in the spinal cord following diabetic nerve injury.

Objective: Peripheral nerve injury and diabetes can lead to some serious neurodegenerative changes in central nervous system structures. Curcumin and Garcinia kola are considered natural compounds with known antioxidant and neuroprotective properties. The current study aims to investigate the effects of curcumin and Garcinia kola on granular cells, glial cells, and Purkinje cells in a diabetic rat model induced by sciatic nerve transection, using stereological and immunohistochemical approaches. Method: Thirty-five male adult rats were divided into five groups: Control, Sham (Transected Sciatic Nerve), Transected Sciatic Nerve + Diabetes (T + DM), T + DM + Curcumin (T + DM + Cur), and T + DM + Garcinia kola (T + DM + GK). Ninety days after the sciatic nerve injury, the rats' cerebellar tissues were dissected and processed into paraffin and resin blocks. Volumetric fractions of cortical layers and white matter were estimated using the Cavalieri principle. Apoptosis and glial activation were assessed by immunohistochemical analysis. Results: Stereological analyses revealed that the volume fraction of the molecular layer was significantly lower in the T + DM + Cur group compared to the T + DM + GK and T + DM groups. A significant decrease in the volume fraction of the Purkinje cell layers was observed in the T + DM + Cur group compared to the Sham group. No significant differences were found between the groups in the granular layer and white matter volume fractions. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed inhibition of caspase-3 activity in the T + DM group. However, intense caspase-3 activation was also observed in the Control and T + DM + Cur groups. Conclusion: Sciatic nerve transection, combined with diabetes, leads to significant structural and cellular changes in the cerebellar cortex. The mechanisms underlying the anti-apoptotic effects of diabetes on granular cells and other cerebellar components should be investigated in detail.