title: Effect of environmental conditions on the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of mulberry leaves.
abstract: Mulberry leaves have been used as the sole food for silkworms in sericulture, and also as a traditional medicine for diabetes prevention. Mulberry leaf components, for example 1-deoxynojirimycin (1-DNJ), inhibit the activity of α-glucosidase and prevent increased blood glucose levels, and they are highly toxic to caterpillars other than silkworms. The α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of mulberry leaves changes with the season, but it is unknown which environmental conditions influence the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. We investigated in this study the relationship between the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and environmental conditions of temperature and photoperiod. The results demonstrate that low temperatures induced decreasing α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, while the induction of newly grown shoots by the scission of branches induced increasing α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. These results suggest that the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity was related to the defense mechanism of mulberry plants against insect herbivores.
authors.affiliation: Satellite Venture Business Laboratory, Shinshu University, Ueda, Nagano, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromitsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Onose
authors.forename: Eriko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kitahara
authors.forename: Sukunya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chumchuen
authors.forename: Midori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takasaki
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Konishi
authors.forename: Rensuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kanekatsu
mesh_terms: D017485:1-Deoxynojirimycin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D004777:Environment; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D065089:Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors; D031625:Morus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D017440:Photoperiod; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D065089:Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors; D010936:Plant Extracts; D017485:1-Deoxynojirimycin