Diabetes mellitus is among the chronic diseases considered emergencies. Products obtained from medicinal plants have been used for thousands of years by the population in the treatment of various diseases. The objective of this work was to evaluate the possible effects of inputs obtained from the artichoke (Cynara scolumus L.) on biochemical markers in diabetic rats. The dry extract was obtained by hydroethanolic (70% v / v) maceration. Male Wistar rats were treated with alloxan (150 mg / kg of mass dissolved in 0.9% saline) intraperitoneally. The extract (0.2g extract / kg) was given in normal and diabetic rats for 30 days. Animals from the Control and Diabetes groups received only water. Biochemical markers were determined in the serum by enzymatic colorimetric method. The chemical characterization was performed quantifying the total polyphenol content (Folin-Ciocalteau) and quantification of the total flavonoid in dry extract (1 mg / mL), by the complexation method with aluminum chloride. The evaluation of fasting blood glucose was positive, when considered that the glycemic levels from “diabetic group” was partially higher when compared with “water group”, “extract group” and “diabetic extract group”. The treatment with extract for the diabetic animals also prevented significantly the serum levels of fructosamine and presented serum levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides significantly lower than non-treated animals. However, the treatment with artichoke extract was able to control glycemic levels at short and medium term, showing an improvement in lipid profile. Key words: Artichoke. Oxidative stress. Phytochemical screening. Flavonoids. Total polyphenols.