Subacute safety and Antihyperglycemic Effects of Freeze-Dried Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) Powder in Normoglycemic Male and Female Wistar Rats

Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) is rich in phytochemicals with potential health benefits. This study investigated the subacute safety, hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, and nephroprotective effects of freeze-dried beetroot powder (BR) in male and female Wistar rats. Methods: Fifty rats (25/sex) were divided into ten groups (n=5/group/sex). Groups received distilled water (control), glibenclamide (5 mg/kg), or BR at 100, 500, and 1000 mg/kg body weight orally for 28 days. Body weight was monitored, and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed on day 7. Upon termination, haematological, biochemical, and histological analyses of the liver and kidney were conducted. Results: BR administration did not adversely affect normal growth or cause overt signs of toxicity. In the OGTT, BR (100 and 500 mg/kg) significantly (p