title: Hypoglycemic effect of the rhizomes of Polygala senega in normal and diabetic mice and its main component, the triterpenoid glycoside senegin-II.
abstract: The hypoglycemic effect of the rhizomes of Polygala senega L. var. latifolia Torrey et Gray (Polygalaceae) was investigated in normal and KK-Ay mice, one of the model animals of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The n-butanol extract of senega rhizomes (SN) (5 mg/kg) reduced the blood glucose of normal mice from 191 +/- 3 to 120 +/- 3 mg/dl 4 hours after intraperitoneal administration (P < 0.001), and also showed a significant decrease in the glucose level of KK-Ay mice from 469 +/- 38 to 244 +/- 14 mg/dl under similar conditions (P < 0.001). But streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice did not experience a change in the blood glucose after administration of SN. We propose that the hypoglycemic effect of SN occurs without altering the insulin concentration. Moreover, SN needs the presence of insulin in order to act. In addition, one of the active components of the hypoglycemic effect was identified as a triterpenoid glycoside, senegin-II.
authors.affiliation: Suzuka University of Medical Science and Technology, Mie, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kako
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishiyama
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ichimaru
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moriyasu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004837:Epinephrine; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects; D008112:Liver Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D008112:Liver Glycogen; D010936:Plant Extracts; D004837:Epinephrine