Abstract
Branch bark extract (BBE) derived from the mulberry cultivar Husang 32 (Morus multicaulis L.) with aqueous alcohol solution has been investigated as an inhibitor of α-glycosidase in vitro. Mulberry BBE was orally administered to STZ-induced diabetic mice for three weeks, and it improved the weight gain and ameliorated the swelling of liver and kidney in diabetic mice. Obviously, mulberry BBE not only can reduce the abnormally elevated levels of serum insulin and ameliorate insulin resistance induced by STZ, but also it regulates dyslipidemia in diabetic mice. To understand this therapeutic effect and the regulatory mechanisms of BBE in diabetic mice, a qRT-PCR experiment was performed, indicating that the mulberry BBE can regulate the mRNA expression of glycometabolism genes in diabetic mice, including glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), glucokinase (GCK), and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), thereby regulating sugar metabolism and reducing the blood glucose level in diabetic mice. The mulberry BBE can increase the mRNA expression of the genes Ins1, Ins2 and pancreatic duodenal homeobox-1 (PDX-1) and may decrease the insulin resistance in diabetic mice. Those results provide an important basis for making the best use of mulberry branch resources and producing biomedical drugs with added value.
Highlights
Mulberry (Morus L.) is a perennial woody economic plant
In the three treatment groups, the liver and kidney swellings were somewhat alleviated, most obviously in the high-dose group, and the weight index was close to the normal control group
These results show that treatment with Branch bark extract (BBE) can reduce the enlargement of liver and kidney in STZdiabetic mice
Summary
Mulberry (Morus L.) is a perennial woody economic plant. Mulberry is widely cultivated in China, India, Brazil, North Korea, and other countries. Mulberry leaf is mainly used as food for silkworms, and more than ten million tons of mulberry branches are harvested in China every year [1]. Most of the mulberry branch is wasted as agricultural trash or firewood. A small portion of the mulberry branches was used, as culture matrix for edible funguses and as composite wood materials, among other functions [2, 3]. The mulberry leaf (Folium mori), mulberry fruit (Fructus mori), mulberry branch (Ramulus mori), and mulberry root (Cortex mori) have been traditional Chinese medicinal herbs. The development of new products and uses for mulberry branches has gained increasing attention
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