28-Homocastasterone: A Novel Plant Ketosteroid Enhances Tissue Transaminase Catalytic Activity and Gene Expression in Normal and Diabetic Male albino wistar Rat

28-Homocastasterone (28-HC) is a brassinosteroid family phytohormone. Humans were exposed through diet and herbal based folk medicine, although its mammalian cellular influence unknown. Present study investigated 28-HC cellular metabolic enzyme inductivity on tissues in normal and diabetic rats. Induction of diabetes was achieved by single peritoneal injection of STZ (60mg/kg.bwt) followed by 28-HC were feed orally 15 days, daily. At end of 15th day tissues was removed followed by enzyme activity and mRNA expression of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was analysed. 28-HC treated rat tissues ALT, AST, GGT and ALP catalytic activity and mRNA expression increased significantly (P<0.05). Dietary plant ketosteroid 28-HC augmented transaminase and phosphatase activity in tissues resulted to cellular transamination and phosphorylation status affected by this plant steroid in rat. It is suggested that 28-HC supplemented diets may be suitable for higher energy related work activities in man and animals.