Abstract
The leaves of the white mulberry tree (Morus alba L.) are used worldwide in traditional medicine as anti-diabetics. Various constituents of mulberry leaves, such as iminosugars (i.e. 1-deoxynojirimicin), flavonoids and related compounds, polysaccharides, glycopeptides and ecdysteroids, have been reported to exert anti-diabetic activity, but knowledge about their contribution to the overall activity is limited. The objective of the present work was to determine the in vivo anti-diabetic activity of an extract of mulberry leaves (MA), and to examine to what extent three major constituents, chlorogenic acid, rutin and isoquercitrin, might contribute to the observed activity. Quantities of the three constituents of interest in the extract were determined by using HPLC-DAD. Activity was determined by using a type II diabetic rat model. After 11 days of per os administration of 250 or 750 mg/kg of MA or the corresponding amounts of each individual compound, a dose dependent decrease of non-fasting blood glucose levels were found for MA, chlorogenic acid and rutin, but not for isoquercitrin. Based on our results, chlorogenic acid and rutin might account for as much as half the observed anti-diabetic activity of MA, hence they can be considered as excellent markers for the quality control of mulberry products.
Highlights
In the last decades, diabetes has become a major health problem both in developed and in developing countries
The characteristics of the developing diabetes are fundamentally determined by the age of the animal
This state shares the characteristics of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and is the intervention of choice when hyperglycemia-induced structural or functional deviations are to be studied [28]
Summary
Diabetes has become a major health problem both in developed and in developing countries. Projections for its prevalence seem to be less and less optimistic. In 2000 there were around 171 million of diabetic people and an increase to 366 million was estimated for 2030 [1]. Data from 2010, showed that prevalence increased to ca. 285 million and 439 million affected adults are expected till 2030 [2]. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is responsible for over 90% of the overall cases. Treatment of this form of the disorder involves changes in lifestyle and the use of oral antidiabetics [3], which, as it can be seen from the rapidly growing number of affected people, is far from being the solution. Novel therapeutic options have to be considered, including the use of phytotherapeutics as alternative or complementary agents which may crucially improve the life quality of the patients
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