In vivo Investigation of Anti-diabetic Properties of Ripe Onion Juice in Normal and Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats.
The acute and subacute hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic effects of drinkable ripe onion juice (Commercial product name is "Black Onion Extract") were investigated in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. For tests of acute and subacute hypoglycemic effects, ripe onion juice (5 and 15 mL/kg b.w.) was administered by oral gavage to normal Sprague Dawley rats and measurements of fasting glucose levels and oral glucose tolerance tests were performed. Tolbutamide was used as a reference drug at a single oral dose of 250 mg/kg b.w. To test anti-hyper-glycemic activity, the ripe onion juice was administered to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by oral gavage at single dose of 15 mL/kg b.w. per day for 7 consecutive days. Oral administration of the ripe onion juice at either dosed level of 5 or 15 mL/kg b.w. showed no remarkable acute hypoglycemic effect in normal rats. The two dosed levels caused a relatively small reduction, only 18% and 12% (5 and 15 mL/kg b.w., respectively) decrease in glucose levels at 2 h after glucose loading in normal rats. However, at 3 h after glucose loading, blood glucose levels in the ripe onion juice-dosed rats were decreased to the corresponding blood glucose level in tolbutamide-dosed rats. Although showing weak hypoglycemic potential compared to that of tolbutamide, oral administration of ripe onion juice (15 mL/kg b.w.) for a short period (8 days) resulted in a slight reduction in the blood glucose levels that had elevated in Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. In conclusion, these results suggest that the commercial product "Black Onion Extract" may possess anti-hyperglycemic potential in diabetes.
Institute of Marine BioTechnology, Pusan National University, Busan 609-735, Korea.
Chul-Won
CW
Lee
KT&G Central Research Institute, Daejeon 305-805, Korea.
Hyung-Seok
HS
Lee
Department of Food and Nutrition, Changwon National University, Gyeongnam 641-773, Korea.
Yong-Jun
YJ
Cha
Department of Biology, Changwon National University, Gyeongnam 641-773, Korea.
Woo-Hong
WH
Joo
Department of Biochemistry and Health Sciences, Changwon National University, Gyeongnam 641-773, Korea.
Dae-Ook
DO
Kang
Department of Biochemistry and Health Sciences, Changwon National University, Gyeongnam 641-773, Korea.
Ja-Young
JY
Moon
Endoplasmic Reticulum stress; anti-diabetic; hypoglycemic effect; onion; streptozotocin