Suppression of glucose absorption by extracts from the leaves of Gymnema inodorum.
Gymnema sylvestre (GS) is one of the Asclepiad strains that grows in South-east Asia. Their therapeutic effects for treating diabetes mellitus, rheumatic arthritis and gout have been well known for a long time. However, the problem is that GS suppresses sweetness and tastes bitter. For this study, we chose Gymnema inodorum (GI) instead of GS, since it has an advantage that it does not suppress sweetness nor is it bitter in taste. In this paper, effects of glucose availability of some saponin fractions (F-I to F-IV) extracted from GI leaves, which were obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography were studied on a high K(+)-induced contraction of guinea-pig intestinal smooth muscle, O2 consumption on guinea-pig ileum, glucose-evoked transmural potential difference (delta PD) of guinea-pig everted intestine and blood glucose level in glucose tolerance tests on rats. The extracts of GI leaves suppressed the intestinal smooth muscle contraction, decreased the O2 consumption, inhibited the glucose evoked-transmural potential, and prevented the blood glucose level. Our studies suggest that the component of GI inhibits the increase in the blood glucose level by interfering with the intestinal glucose absorption process.
Shimizu
K
K
Division of Veterinary Pharmacology, Nippon Veterinary and Animal Science University, Tokyo, Japan.
Ozeki
M
M
Tanaka
K
K
Itoh
K
K
Nakajyo
S
S
Urakawa
N
N
Atsuchi
M
M
D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D005947:Glucose / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test / Q000662:veterinary; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007082:Ileum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012503:Saponins / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*
D001786:Blood Glucose; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012503:Saponins; D005947:Glucose; D011188:Potassium