Hypoglycemic effect of Belamcanda chinensis leaf extract in normal and STZ-induced diabetic rats and its potential active faction

Wu, Chongming; Li, Yan; Chen, Yan; Lao, Xinyuan; Sheng, Linghui; Dai, Rongji; Meng, Weiwei; Deng, Yulin

doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2010.07.005

« Previous Next »Phytomedicine
Volume 18, Issue 4 , Pages 292-297, 15 February 2011

Hypoglycemic effect of Belamcanda chinensis leaf extract in normal and STZ-induced diabetic rats and its potential active faction

Chongming Wu
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing 100081, PR China
Yan Li
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing 100081, PR China
- Beijing BIT&GY Pharmaceutical R&D, Beijing 100081, PR China
Yan Chen
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing 100081, PR China
- Beijing BIT&GY Pharmaceutical R&D, Beijing 100081, PR China
Xinyuan Lao
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing 100081, PR China
Linghui Sheng
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing 100081, PR China
- National institute of metrology, Beijing 100013, PR China
Rongji Dai
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing 100081, PR China
- Beijing BIT&GY Pharmaceutical R&D, Beijing 100081, PR China
Weiwei Meng
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing 100081, PR China
- Beijing BIT&GY Pharmaceutical R&D, Beijing 100081, PR China
Yulin Deng
- School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5 Zhongguancun South Street, Beijing 100081, PR China
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +86 10 68914607; fax: +86 10 68467208.

published online 26 August 2010.

Abstract

Belamcanda chinensis (Iridaceae) belongs to the family of iridaceae and its rhizoma has been widely used for the treatment of throat ailment. Here we report a new pharmacological activity of B. chinensis leaf extract (BCL), that is, the hypoglycemic effect in normal and STZ-induced diabetic rats. Animals either healthy or STZ-induced diabetic show significantly lowered fasting blood glucose levels after treatment with BCL. The serum insulin concentration in normal rats is also enhanced. Additionally, the increase in blood glucose levels after administration of various carbohydrates in normal rats is significantly decreased and the oral glucose tolerance (OGTT) of STZ-induced diabetic rats is largely improved by BCL treatment. However, co-administration of BCL with Nifedipine, a Ca²⁺ ion channel blocker, or Nicorandil, an ATP-sensitive K⁺ ion channel opener thoroughly abolishes the hypoglycemic effect of BCL. HPLC analysis and compound identification showed that several isoflavone glycosides with antidiabetic activities were contained in BCL while pharmacological experiment showed that the polysaccharide fraction of BCL had no significant hypoglycemic effect on normal rats. Therefore, the isoflavone glycosides but not polysaccharides might be the active fraction of BCL in diabetes treatment.

Keywords: Belamcanda chinensis, Diabetes, Hypoglycemic, K⁺ channel, Ca²⁺ channel, Isoflavone glycosides