Abstract
Saponins have been extensively used in the food and pharmaceutical industries because of their potent bioactive and pharmacological functions including hypolipidemic, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, antiulcer and androgenic properties. A lot of saponins-containing foods are recommended as nutritional supplements for diabetic patients. As a medicine and food homologous material, Corni Fructus (CF) contains various active ingredients and has the effect of treating diabetes. However, whether and how CF saponins attenuate diabetes is still largely unknown. Here, we isolated total saponins from CF (TSCF) using ultrasonic microwave-assisted extraction combined with response surface methodology. The extract was further purified by a nonpolar copolymer styrene type macroporous resin (HPD-300), with the yield of TSCF elevated to 13.96 mg/g compared to 10.87 mg/g obtained via unassisted extraction. When used to treat high-fat diet and streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice, TSCF significantly improved the glucose and lipid metabolisms of T2DM mice. Additionally, TSCF clearly ameliorated inflammation and oxidative stress as well as pancreas and liver damages in the diabetic mice. Mechanistically, TSCF potently regulated insulin receptor (INSR)-, glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4)-, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-, and protein kinase B (PKB/AKT)-associated signaling pathways. Thus, our data collectively demonstrated that TSCF could be a promising functional food ingredient for diabetes improvement.
Highlights
We found that IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were greatly upregulated in the liver tissues of T2DM mice compared to the normal control (NC) mice
We found that IL-6, TNF-α, and CRP levels were greatly upregulated in the liver tissues of T2DM mice compared to inflammation and oxidative stressmice are closely connected diabetes
T2DM is a complex metabolic disorder associated with pancreas dysfunction and varying degrees of insulin resistance, accounting for over 90% of all individuals diagnosed
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Corni Fructus (CF), as a traditional Chinese medicine and food homologous plant, possesses a wide spectrum of biological activities including anti-hyperglycemia, antineoplastic, antimicrobial, anti-aging and antioxidant properties, as well as hepatoprotective and immune regulation effects [1,2,3]. CF has been extensively used in fruit wine, vinegar, jam, and health drinks to meet the increasing demand for production of functional foods that claim to provide health benefits [4,5]. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that these bioactive constituents of CF could improve metabolic disorders in diabetes [8,9]. CF has beneficial effects on treating and preventing diabetes and its complications
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