title: Antidiabetic effect of flavonoids from Malus toringoides (Rehd.) Hughes leaves in diabetic mice and rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The leaf of Malus toringoides (Rehd.) Hughes is a traditional folk medicine in Tibet, China, which is called "E Se" in Tibetan language. This original plant grows on snow mountains at an attitude of 3000 to 3700 m. It is primarily used to treat hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, indigestion and other diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the antidiabetic effect of flavonoids extracted from E Se (ESF) and to explore the potential mechanism in streptozotocin (STZ) or alloxan (ALX) induced diabetic mice and STZ-induced diabetic rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  72 h after the establishment of a diabetic model, STZ or ALX induced diabetic mice and STZ-induced diabetic rats were treated daily with ESF at doses of 45, 90, 180 mg/kg and 37.5, 75, 150 mg/kg, respectively. Both mice and rats were fasted for 5h before administration and the blood glucose (BG) levels were tested 1h after treatment. Body weight was determined every other day. For STZ-induced rats, glycosylated hemoglobin (Hb1Ac), serum insulin and c-peptide, hepatic glycogen, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in liver were assessed on the fourth day after BG level detection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the model group, the general behavior of mice treated with ESF (90, 180 mg/kg) and rats treated with ESF (75, 150 mg/kg) became better and BG levels were significantly reduced (P<0.05). Significant decrease (P<0.05) in Hb1Ac level was observed in ESF-treated rats compared with diabetic rats. Significant increase (P<0.05 ) in serum insulin and c-peptide were detected in ESF-treated rats. The treatment also significantly (P<0.05) elevated SOD activity and reduced MDA level in the liver of diabetic rats. Besides, ESF 150 mg/kg had a trend of rising hepatic glycogen content of diabetic rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this study suggest that flavonoids from the Malus toringoides (Rehd.) Hughes leaves may possess an antidiabetic activity in animals with established diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, PR China; State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Systematic Research Development and Utilization of Chinese Medicine Resources Co-Founded by Sichuan Province and MOST, Chengdu 611137, PR China.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, PR China; State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Systematic Research Development and Utilization of Chinese Medicine Resources Co-Founded by Sichuan Province and MOST, Chengdu 611137, PR China. Electronic address: pengchengchengdu@126.com.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, PR China; State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Systematic Research Development and Utilization of Chinese Medicine Resources Co-Founded by Sichuan Province and MOST, Chengdu 611137, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaofang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Southwest University for Nationalities, Chengdu 610041, PR China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, PR China; State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Systematic Research Development and Utilization of Chinese Medicine Resources Co-Founded by Sichuan Province and MOST, Chengdu 611137, PR China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, PR China; State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Systematic Research Development and Utilization of Chinese Medicine Resources Co-Founded by Sichuan Province and MOST, Chengdu 611137, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhixing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, PR China.
authors.forename: Danqing
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002096:C-Peptide / Q000097:blood; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D027845:Malus; D051379:Mice; D008517:Phytotherapy; D018515:Plant Leaves; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002096:C-Peptide; D005419:Flavonoids; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase
keywords: Antioxidant; Flavonoids; Hypoglycemic; Malus toringoides (Rehd.) Hughes; Phlorizin (PubChem CID:6702); Tibetan folk medicine