Abstract
Ludvik et al. have recently shown the effect of white skinned sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) on reducing fasting blood glucose and insulin resistance in type-2 diabetic patients.It, however, was required 2-4 weeks after the starting of administration of white skinned sweet potato.
The present study aimed to determine if the combination therapy of white skinned sweet potato with a loquat leaf extract, which shows an insulin-like effect, could make it possible to enhance the anti-diabetic activities of white skinned sweet potato, and to shorten the time necessary for the inhibition of increasing blood glucose levels.
A mixture of the pulverized skin of white skinned sweet potato (194mg/kg) and the powdered loquat leaf extract (6mg/kg) was orally administered to 6 weeks-old male KK-Ay/Ta mice for 28 days and the glucose loading test was conducted every 7 days.
In the glucose loading test after one week feeding, a reduction in blood glucose concentration after 60 minutes of the administration of glucose was observed in the mixture groups against the control group (p<0.05). In the case of white skinned sweet potato only, similar delayed effects were seen in 3 weeks after feeding.
