2007 Volume 24 Issue 2 Pages 47-50
The present review summarizes the antidiabetic activity of Fuscoporia oblique (Fuscoporia Murr.) and Samallanthus sonchifolius (Compositae), traditional medicines, in KK-Ay mice, an animal model of genetically type 2 diabetes with hyperinsulinemia. The water extract of Fuscoporia oblique (FO) reduced the blood glucose of KK-Ay mice 4 hours after a single oral administration when compared with the control. FO reduced the blood glucose of KK-Ay mice 6 weeks after repeated administration, and also significantly decreased the plasma insulin of KK-Ay mice under similar conditions. However, FO did not affect the blood glucose in normal mice. FO decreased the blood glucose in an insulin tolerance test. These results suggest that the antidiabetic activity of FO is derived, at least in part, from a decrease in plasma insulin, due to the decrease of insulin resistance.
The water extract of the leaf of Samallanthus sonchifolius (Yacon) reduced the blood glucose and cholesterol of KK-Ay mice 6 weeks after repeated administration. However, Yacon did not affect the blood glucose in normal mice. Yacon also improved hyperglycemia after glucose tolerance. Yacon tended to decrease the blood glucose in an insulin tolerance test. These results suggest that Yacon is useful for hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia of type 2 diabetes.
