title: Anti-diabetic properties of chromium citrate complex in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.
abstract: The chromium citrate complex [CrCIT] was synthesized and its structure was determined by infrared, UV-visible and atomic absorption spectroscopy, elemental and thermodynamic analysis. Anti-diabetic activity, oxidative DNA damage capacity and acute oral toxicity of [CrCIT] were investigated and compared with that of chromium trichloride hexahydrate. [CrCIT] was synthesized in a single step reaction by chelating chromium(III) with citric acid in aqueous solution. The molecular formula of [CrCIT] was inferred as CrC(6)H(5)O(7)·4H(2)O. The anti-diabetic activity of the complex [CrCIT] was assessed in alloxan-diabetic rats by daily oral gavage for 3 weeks. The biological activity results showed that the complex at the dose of 0.25-0.75 mg Cr/kg body weight could decrease the blood glucose level and increase liver glycogen level in alloxan-diabetic rats. [CrCIT] had more beneficial influences on the improvement of controlling blood glucose, serum lipid and liver glycogen levels compared with CrCl(3)·6H(2)O. Furthermore, [CrCIT] did not cause oxidative DNA damage under physiologically relevant conditions, and [CrCIT] did not produce any hazardous symptoms or deaths in acute oral toxicity test, showing the LD(50) value for female and male rats were higher than 15.1 g/kg body weight. The results suggested that [CrCIT] might represent a novel and proper chromium supplement with potential therapeutic value to control blood glucose in diabetes.
authors.affiliation: School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiangyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jiangli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Guanghua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Liuqing
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D002857:Chromium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D002951:Citrates / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D056831:Coordination Complexes / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D004249:DNA Damage; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006003:Glycogen / Q000378:metabolism; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D051381:Rats; D018675:Toxicity Tests; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002951:Citrates; D056831:Coordination Complexes; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D014280:Triglycerides; D002857:Chromium; D006003:Glycogen; D002784:Cholesterol