10.22376/ijpbs.2019.10.1.p1-12 Volume 8 Issue 1 2017 (January - March) Natural bioactive compounds play a significant role in curing various diseases related to oxidative stress. Mulberry leaves ( lessThan i greaterThan Morus alba lessThan /i greaterThan ) are abundant in several bioactive constituents such as polyphenolic compounds that can combat oxidative stress in diabetes. The present study investigated the antioxidant capacity of lessThan i greaterThan Morus latifolia lessThan /i greaterThan leaf extract against oxidative damage caused by diabetes. Streptozotocin induced diabetic rats were subjected to a treatment with lessThan i greaterThan M.latifolia lessThan /i greaterThan leaf extract (250 and 500mg/kg) over a course of 21 days. Treatment with lessThan i greaterThan M. latifolia lessThan /i greaterThan leaf extract brought about a significant reduction in the levels of lipid peroxides (LPO) and catalase (CAT) activity in serum and liver tissue in streptozotocin treated diabetic rats. A considerable increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and improvement of reduced glutathione (GSH) in serum and liver tissue of lessThan i greaterThan M. latifolia lessThan /i greaterThan treated diabetic rats was also observed. Total polyphenols and flavonoids are found to be 46.06% and 12.75% respectively. HPLC analysis of the extract identified chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, coumaric acid, rutin and quercetin as active principles. This study establishes that lessThan i greaterThan M.latifolia lessThan /i greaterThan leaf extract produces an ameliorating effect on oxidative stress in diabetic rats through the activity of polyphenolic compounds inherent in lessThan i greaterThan M.latifolia lessThan /i greaterThan leaf extract. SUBHA MARY VARGHESE AND JIBU THOMAS Diabetes, polyphenols, HPLC, antioxidant enzymes, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation 254-259