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Additive Effects of Quercetin-Rich Allium cepa L. Juice and Dapagliflozin on Glycemic Variability in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Mohammad Abu Assab, M. Hailat, I. Al-Ani, Wael Abu Dayyih, Razan Shalabi, W. Hourani, Balakumar Chandrasekaran, Enas Daoud et al.

Pharmaceuticals, 2026

10 participants

Abstract

Glycemic variability is a stand-alone risk factor for diabetic complications. Background/Objectives: We investigated whether combining quercetin-rich Allium cepa L. (white onion) juice with the sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor dapagliflozin could reduce glycemic variability beyond that achieved with monotherapy in experimental diabetes. Methods: Wistar rats were made diabetic with streptozotocin (35 mg/kg) and maintained for 60 days in the following groups: vehicle, dapagliflozin (0.1 mg/day), fresh onion juice (5 mL twice daily), and dapagliflozin + fresh onion juice (5 mL twice daily). Diabetic Wistar rats (n = 10/group) were gavaged with vehicle, dapagliflozin (0.1 mg/day), fresh onion juice (5 mL twice daily), or both. The juice was expected to contain phytochemicals (quercetin derivatives and organosulfur compounds) based on published reports on similar A. cepa cultivars. A validated immunoassay was used to measure glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) every 10 days. All treatments reduced HbA1c to the same level (~7.1–7.2%) as compared to diabetic controls (9.0 ± 0.3%) (p < 0.001), though only the combination treatment reduced glycemic variability (HbA1C coefficient of variation 3.9 ± 0.6% vs. 7.8 ± 1.2% with dapagliflozin and 11.2 ± 1.8% with onion) (p < 0.001). Results: Across the 10-day sampling schedule, the combination kept HbA1c within a narrow 6.8–7.2% band, whereas the monotherapies fluctuated more widely; because intraday and postprandial glucose were…

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