Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous disorders characterized by impaired insulin sensitivity and/or insulin secretion. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of the flavonoid kaempferol (3, 5, 7, 4'-tetrahydroxyflavone) as compared with rosiglitazone maleate on adipose tissue PPARγ, adiponectin and resistin in diabetic rats. After being fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for two weeks, rats were intraperitoneally injected with streptozotocin (STZ, 35 mg/kg body weight). An oral dose of 75 mg/kg kaempferol or 4 mg/kg rosiglitazone was daily given for rats for 4 weeks after diabetes induction. In HFD/STZ diabetic group, levels of glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c %), resistin, TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly increased, while serum insulin and adiponectin were decreased. Both kaempferol and rosiglitazone supplementation significantly ameliorate these alterations. In addition, both tested agents reversed the decline in adipose tissue PPARγ and adiponectin in conjunction with downregulated resistin expression. These results demonstrate that kaempferol may be a naturally occurring anti-diabetic agent improving peripheral insulin sensitivity by modulating some adipose tissue genes.