Introduction:  Stevia rebaudiana has been recently known as an antioxidant, antiflammatory, and antimicrobial agent. Hepatoprotective and antidiabetic properties of the aqueous extract of S. rebaudiana on diabetic mice has been assessed in the present study.

Methods:  Diabetes was induced by administration of 60 mg/kg of streptozotocin intraperitoneally in 35 mature male mice and they were randomly divided into 5 groups. The negative and positive control(non-treated- diabetic) groups received normal saline and treatment groups received glibenclamide at dose 0.5 mg/kg and aqueous extract of S. rebaudiana at doses of 200 and 400 μg/kg through gavage for 15 consecutive days. On the last day, serum levels of blood glucose and AST (aspartate aminotransferase), ALT (alanineaminotransferase), and ALP (alkaline-phosphatase) enzymes were measured. Total volume of the liver, hepatocytes, sinusoids, portal vein, central vein, hepatic arteries and bile ducts were estimated on the histological sections.

Results:  The levels of blood glucose and ALT and ALP enzymes were decreased significantly (P <0.05) in aqueous extract-treated groups as compared to the positive control group. The total volume of liver, hepatocytes, sinusoids, central vein, and hepatic artery decreased significantly (P <0.05) after treatment with high dose of S. rebaudiana aqueous extract. 

Conclusion:  Aqueous extract of S. rebaudiana (sweet fraction), can regulates the levels of blood glucose and liver enzymes and inhibits from hepatic damages in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.