Glucose Levels In Diabetic Patients Research Articles

Diagnosis of Diabetic Disease with differential Equation using Fuzzy Convergence

Differential equations are highly useful in evaluating relationship between different physical quantities of scientific phenomena. In recent years, diagnosis and treatment of diabetes has been the subject of discussion in many research works with multiple physical measuring quantities (sugar level, insulin secretion, fat, carbohydrate, etc.,). Complexity of a human biological system allows its relations to be demonstrated in a nonlinear pattern. As the glucose levels in diabetic patients are a nonlinear model, differential equation using fuzzy controller is a good choice for controlling insulin in blood. In this paper, a method called Differential Equation using Fuzzy Logic System (DE-FLS) is presented to control the glucose level in insulin dependent diabetic patients. Formulates of third order differential equation for diabetes is investigated that helps in maintaining the glucose level. To improve the convergence rate, fuzzy logic system is designed to identify the relationships based on patient's data to numerical solutions of differential equation. It is shown that the proposed method, perform well in evaluating physical quantity relationship and its convergence rate gets improved with DE-FLS.

Assessment of blood glucose levels in diabetic patients with periodontitis: A three-way method using gingival crevicular, capillary, and venous blood

Assessment of blood glucose levels in diabetic patients with periodontitis: A three-way method using gingival crevicular, capillary, and venous blood

A correlative study of salivary and plasma glucose levels in type 2 diabetic patients with and without complications

Introduction: There are contradictory reports on using salivary glucose in diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. This study has made an attempt to estimate the salivary glucose levels in diabetic patients with and without complications and correlate them with plasma glucose as a marker of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Method: This was a Cross sectional observational study. Thirty eight type 2 diabetic patients without complications and thirty eight type 2 diabetic patients with either microvascular or macrovascular complications were the subjects of this study. Age and sex-matched normal healthy individuals were included as controls. Plasma and salivary glucose levels were estimated by spectrophotometric method. Results: We observed significantly higher glucose levels in plasma and saliva, in diabetic patients with complications, in comparison to those without complications, and normal healthy controls. There was significant positive correlation between salivary glucose and plasma glucose among all the subjects of the study. Non-linear regression analysis shows exponential relationship between plasma and salivary glucose. Conclusion: Salivary glucose analysis offers noninvasive, sensitive method for assessment of severity of diabetic complications with suitability for repeated sampling. Further studies with larger sample size need to be taken up to establish salivary glucose as a marker of diabetes mellitus. Key words: Plasma glucose, Salivary glucose, Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Antihyperglycemic, insulin-sensitivity and anti-hyperlipidemic potential of Ganoderma lucidum, a dietary mushroom, on alloxan- and glucocorticoid-induced diabetic Long-Evans rats

Background: Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is a well-known and popular edible mushroom eaten as vegetables all over the world. It has been used as alternative medicine for long years in China, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, and in eastern Russia. It is reported to exhibit a number of medicinal properties including antitumor, antioxidant, immunomodulating, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and hypoglycemic activities due to the presence of bioactive polysaccharide. Glucocorticoids, prescribed for the treatment of arthritis to protect inflammation and reduce pain, can induce hyperglycemia or aggravate the hyperglycemic condition reaching to very high glucose levels in diabetic patients. However, no report has been published for its activity on glucocorticoid-induced diabetes. Objective: To investigate the effect of Ganoderma lucidum on alloxan- and glucocorticoid- induced diabetes in Long-Evans rats. Methods: Alloxan monohydrate (150 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administered to Long-Evans rats as a single dose. The same volume of normal saline was injected to control rats. Three days after alloxan injection, rats with plasma glucose levels higher than 12 mmoL /L were considered as diabetic and they were included in the study. Reishi mushroom was collected from the Mushroom Development Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, where it was identified by a Taxonomist. Petroleum ether extract (PEE) Methanol extract (ME) were prepared by maceration and distillation techniques. The extracts were orally administered once in a day at doses of 200, 400, 600 and 800 mg/kg, respectively for 7 days. Metformin (150 mg/kg) was orally administered as a standard antidiabetic drug. Glucose levels were measured at 0 and 7th days of treatment. The rats were allowed to rest for 1 week without treatment. The animals were again injected with dexamethasone (2 mg/kg) through intra-muscular route for 3 days and glucose levels were monitored regularly. Rats were then further treated with PEE and ME and metformin for another 7 days and glucose levels were determined at 0 and 7th days of treatment. Results: The PEE and ME of Reishi mushroom dose-dependently reduced the plasma glucose levels in alloxan-and steroid-induced fasting diabetic rats. The maximum reduction of fasting plasma glucose levels observed by PEE (800 mg/kg) and ME (800 mg/kg) were 55.57% and 36.01% in alloxan-induced and 51.41% and 32.02% in steroid-induced diabetic rats, respectively. Whereas, metformin (150 mg/kg) resulted in the diminution of fasting blood glucose levels by 60.02 and 51.12% in the alloxan- induced and steroid-induced diabetic rats, respectively. Both the PEE (800 mg/kg) and ME (800 mg/kg) significantly augmented plasma insulin levels (***P < 0.001 and **P < 0.01) and reduced HbA1c (**P < 0.01 and *P < 0.05) in alloxan-and steroid-induced diabetic rats. Besides, treatment of diabetic rats with PEE (800 mg/kg) and ME (800 mg/kg) controlled the 2-h post prandial elevated glucose levels in blood plasma. The same dose of the extracts also significantly reduced the levels of total cholesterol (TC) (***P < 0.001 and ***P < 0.01), triglyceride (TG) (***P < 0.001 and **P < 0.01) and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c) (***P < 0.001 and ***P < 0.001), as well as increased the level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) (**P < 0.01 and **P < 0.01, respectively). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that edible mushrooms-Reishi has antihyperglycemic, insulin-sensitivity, and hyperlipidaemic activity against both alloxan- and corticosteroid-induced diabetes rats. The bioactive chemicals responsible for those activities are most probably the polysaccharides available in the mushroom. Thus, usage of Reishi mushrooms as vegetables or as extract will be beneficial for the management of diabetes.Keywords: Antihyperglycemic, antidiabetic, insulin-sensitizer, anti-hyperlipidemic, Gano mushroom, Reishi mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum, alloxan-induced diabetes, Steroid induced diabetes, Glycated haemolgobin (HbA1c), Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), Hyperlipidemia

Alternative signaling network activation through different insulin receptor family members caused by pro-mitogenic antidiabetic insulin analogues in human mammary epithelial cells.

IntroductionInsulin analogues are designed to have improved pharmacokinetic parameters compared to regular human insulin. This provides a sustained control of blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. All novel insulin analogues are tested for their mitogenic side effects, however these assays do not take into account the molecular mode of action of different insulin analogues. Insulin analogues can bind the insulin receptor and the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor with different affinities and consequently will activate different downstream signaling pathways.MethodsHere we used a panel of MCF7 human breast cancer cell lines that selectively express either one of the isoforms of the INSR or the IGF1R. We applied a transcriptomics approach to assess the differential transcriptional programs activated in these cells by either insulin, IGF1 or X10 treatment.ResultsBased on the differentially expressed genes between insulin versus IGF1 and X10 treatment, we retrieved a mitogenic classifier gene set. Validation by RT-qPCR confirmed the robustness of this gene set. The translational potential of these mitogenic classifier genes was examined in primary human mammary cells and in mammary gland tissue of mice in an in vivo model. The predictive power of the classifier genes was evaluated by testing all commercial insulin analogues in the in vitro model and defined X10 and glargine as the most potent mitogenic insulin analogues.ConclusionsWe propose that these mitogenic classifier genes can be used to test the mitogenic potential of novel insulin analogues as well as other alternative molecules with an anticipated affinity for the IGF1R.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13058-015-0600-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Resveratrol and sildenafil synergistically improve diabetes-associated erectile dysfunction in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Despite effective control of blood glucose levels in diabetic patients, complaints of diabetes-associated erectile dysfunction (ED) persist. Resveratrol has been indicated to possess anti-diabetic effects and therapeutic potential for ED. This study was conducted to observe the effect of resveratrol alone or in combination with sildenafil on ED in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Among 58 adult male STZ-induced (60 mg/kg) diabetic Sprague-Dawley rats, 48 STZ-induced diabetic rats were randomized equally to four groups: untreated diabetic rats, resveratrol (25mg/kg), sildenafil (5mg/kg) or resveratrol (25mg/kg) plus sildenafil (5mg/kg) through oral gavage for 8 weeks. Additionally, 12 age-matched rats were chosen as controls. Intracavernous pressure (ICP) and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) were used to measure erectile function. The cavernous level of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), protein and mRNA of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), neuronal NOS (nNOS), and phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) was measured. Treatment with either resveratrol or sildenafil improved ICP/MAP compared to the untreated diabetic rats (P<0.05). Treatment with resveratrol increased nNOS and eNOS expression, inhibited PDE5 expression, and increased the cavernous cGMP level compared to the untreated diabetic rats. Resveratrol significantly decreased superoxide anion and ROS production. Two-way ANOVA indicated that resveratrol in combination with sildenafil therapy had a significant synergistic effect in improving ICP/MAP and cavernous cGMP levels. Resveratrol improves diabetes-associated ED in rats. Combination therapies with resveratrol and sildenafil have a synergistic effect in improving ED. The mechanisms might be attributed to its anti-oxidative properties and NO-cGMP signaling pathway upregulation.

Hypoglycemic effects of aqueous persimmon leaf extract in a murine model of diabetes.

Previously, powdered persimmon leaves have been reported to have glucose- and lipid-lowering effects in diabetic (db/db) mice. As persimmon leaf is commonly consumed as tea, an aqueous extract of persimmon leaves (PLE) was prepared and its anti-diabetic efficacy was investigated. In the present study, PLE was tested for its inhibitory activity on α-glucosidase in vitro. An oral maltose tolerance test was performed in diabetic mice. Next, the acute effect of PLE was examined in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. Last, the long-term effect of PLE supplementation was assessed in db/db after eight weeks. An oral glucose tolerance test, biochemical parameters, as well as histological analyses of liver and pancreas were evaluated at the end of the study. PLE inhibited α-glucosidase activity and increased antioxidant capacity. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice pre-treated with PLE displayed hypoglycemic activity. Daily oral supplementation with PLE for eight weeks reduced body weight gain without affecting food intake, enhanced the glucose tolerance during the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), improved blood lipid parameters, suppressed fat accumulation in the liver and maintained islet structure in db/db mice. Further mechanistic study showed that PLE protected pancreatic islets from glucotoxicity. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that PLE exhibits considerable anti-diabetic effects through α-glucosidase inhibition and through the maintenance of functional β-cells. These results provided a rationale for the use of persimmon leaf tea for the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels in diabetic patients.

Effect of Eclipta Alba against blood glucose level in diabetic patients

In this modern age, people are moving towards nature to treat the diseases to avoid the side effects of the allopathic drugs. Diabetes Mellitus is one such important disease, constituently increasing prevalence globally and is one of the most challenging health problems in the 21 st century. The Present study has been conducted to evaluate the antihyperglycaemic effect of an indigenous plant Eclipta alba against the diabetes mellitus on patients.

Structural basis of the substrate specificity of the FPOD/FAOD family revealed by fructosyl peptide oxidase from Eupenicillium terrenum.

The FAOD/FPOD family of proteins has the potential to be useful for the longterm detection of blood glucose levels in diabetes patients. A bottleneck for this application is to find or engineer a FAOD/FPOD family enzyme that is specifically active towards α-fructosyl peptides but is inactive towards other types of glycated peptides. Here, the crystal structure of fructosyl peptide oxidase from Eupenicillium terrenum (EtFPOX) is reported at 1.9 Å resolution. In contrast to the previously reported structure of amadoriase II, EtFPOX has an open substrate entrance to accommodate the large peptide substrate. The functions of residues critical for substrate selection are discussed based on structure comparison and sequence alignment. This study reveals the first structural details of group I FPODs that prefer α-fructosyl substrates and could provide significant useful information for uncovering the mechanism of substrate specificity of FAOD/FPODs and guidance towards future enzyme engineering for diagnostic purposes.

General aspects of muscle glucose uptake.

Glucose uptake in peripheral tissues is dependent on the translocation of GLUT4 glucose transporters to the plasma membrane. Studies have shown the existence of two major signaling pathways that lead to the translocation of GLUT4. The first, and widely investigated, is the insulin activated signaling pathway through insulin receptor substrate-1 and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. The second is the insulin-independent signaling pathway, which is activated by contractions. Individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus have reduced insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle due to the phenomenon of insulin resistance. However, those individuals have normal glucose uptake during exercise. In this context, physical exercise is one of the most important interventions that stimulates glucose uptake by insulin-independent pathways, and the main molecules involved are adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, nitric oxide, bradykinin, AKT, reactive oxygen species and calcium. In this review, our main aims were to highlight the different glucose uptake pathways and to report the effects of physical exercise, diet and drugs on their functioning. Lastly, with the better understanding of these pathways, it would be possible to assess, exactly and molecularly, the importance of physical exercise and diet on glucose homeostasis. Furthermore, it would be possible to assess the action of drugs that might optimize glucose uptake and consequently be an important step in controlling the blood glucose levels in diabetic patients, in addition to being important to clarify some pathways that justify the development of drugs capable of mimicking the contraction pathway.

Effects of passive static stretching on blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

[Purpose] This study determined the effects of passive static stretching on blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. [Subjects] Fifteen patients (8 males and 7 females) with type 2 diabetes were recruited and randomly assigned to the control group or passive static stretching group. [Methods] Glycated hemoglobin was measured before and after the 8-week training period. [Results] Glycated hemoglobin levels decreased significantly in the passive static stretching group, and there were significant differences in blood glucose levels between the 2 groups. [Conclusion] Passive static stretching of the skeletal muscles may be an alternative to exercise to help regulate blood glucose levels in diabetes patients.

Study of the Association of Serum Magnesium with Hyperglycemia in Patients of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Magnesium is the second most common intracellular cation and plays a fundamental role as a cofactor in glucose-transporting mechanisms of the cell membrane and various enzymes in carbohydrate metabolism. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between serum magnesium and blood glucose levels and also to find out, if there is any relation between serum magnesium and chronicity of diabetes mellitus. Hundred known diabetic adult patients of both sexes, with or without complications were recruited as cases in our study. Hundred age and sex matched healthy individuals formed our control group. Fasting and post prandial plasma glucose and serum magnesium levels were estimated in all the samples of individuals of our study. Results were statistically analysed to arrive at meaningful conclusions. We found that serum magnesium levels were significantly low in diabetic patients (1.52±0.76 mg/dL) as compared to controls (2.45±0.22mg/dL) (p value<0.001). Also there was a significant inverse correlation between serum magnesium and fasting plasma glucose levels in diabetic patients (r=-0.612, p value<0.001). Thus from our study it is concluded that there is a profound relationship between serum magnesium and hyperglycemia in diabetes and hypomagnesemia is a significant occurrence in type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Therefore the estimation of serum magnesium becomes imperative in patients of diabetes as changes in its levels may have a bearing on the course and chronicity of the illness in such patients.

Ipragliflozin: A novel sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor developed in Japan.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibition induces glucosuria and decreases blood glucose levels in diabetic patients and lowers hypoglycemic risk. SGLT1 is expressed in the kidney and intestine; SGLT1 inhibition causes abdominal symptoms such as diarrhea and reduces incretin secretion. Therefore, SGLT2 selectivity is important. Ipragliflozin is highly selective for SGLT2. In type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), urinary glucose excretion increased to 90 g/24 h after 28 d of treatment with ipragliflozin 300 mg/d. Twelve weeks of ipragliflozin 50 mg/d vs placebo reduced glycated hemoglobin and body weight by 0.65% and 0.66 kg, respectively, in Western T2DM patients, and by 1.3% and 1.89 kg, respectively, in Japanese patients. Ipragliflozin (highly selective SGLT2 inhibitor) improves glycemic control and reduces body weight and lowers hypoglycemic risk and abdominal symptoms. Ipragliflozin can be a novel anti-diabetic and anti-obesity agent.

Changes in blood glucose level during and after light sedations using propofol-fentanyl and midazolam-fentanyl in diabetic patients who underwent cataract surgery.

Background:Surgeries may trigger the stress response which leads to changes in blood glucose level, and studies suggest that different sedation and anesthesia methods have different effects on blood glucose level. The aim of this study was to investigate changes of blood glucose levels in diabetic patients and compare them in two sedation methods of propofol + fentanyl and midazolam + fentanyl.Materials and Methods:Totally, 80 diabetic candidates for cataract surgery who had all the inclusion criteria, underwent cataract surgery using two methods of propofol (1 mg/kg/h) + fentanyl (2 μg/kg) (Group P) and midazolam (0.03 mg/kg) + fentanyl (2 μg/kg) (Group M) for light sedation. In the end, 70 patients (Group P n = 35 and Group M n = 35) remained in the study. Patients’ blood glucose levels, vital signs, and hemodynamic data were assessed 30 min prior to the surgery, each 15 min during surgery and at the end of surgery.Results:Hemodynamic parameters did not have a statistically significant difference between the two groups mean blood glucose level in Group M was 149.15 mg/dl and in Group P was 149.2 mg/dl, and based on repeated measures analysis of variance test, significant differences were not observed between the two groups (P = 0.99). T-test showed no significant differences in the blood glucose level at any time of the study between the two groups.Conclusions:Light sedation methods of propofol + fentanyl and midazolam + fentanyl did not have any differences in alteration of blood glucose level.

Antihyperglycemic studies with boiled and non-boiled Vigna mungo seeds

Article history: Received on: 13/09/2015 Revised on: 17/10/2015 Accepted on: 30/10/2015 Available online: 27/12/2015 Vigna mungo is a common leguminous crop cultivated in Bangladesh for its edible seeds, which are consumed following boiling or cooking. Since many lentil plants are known to have antihyperglycemic activity, it was of interest to determine the antihyperglycemic potential of seeds of V. mungo both in its boiled and non-boiled form. In oral glucose tolerance tests conducted in glucose-loaded Swiss albino mice, crude methanol extract of nonboiled seeds reduced blood glucose levels by 29.1, 36.5, 42.6, and 48.9%, respectively, at doses of 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg per kg body weight. At the afore-mentioned four doses, the percent reductions in blood glucose levels were, respectively, 24.1, 35.1, 39.4, and 46.5% with crude methanol extract of boiled seeds. Glibenclamide, a standard antihyperglycemic drug was observed to reduce blood glucose levels by 48.2%, when administered at a dose of 10 mg per kg. Thus the extracts of both non-boiled and boiled seeds demonstrated good antihyperglycemic potential comparable to glibenclamide and can be used as a readily available alternative to alleviate high blood glucose levels in diabetic patients.

Investigation on Emotional-Freedom Technique Effectiveness in Diabetic Patients’ Blood Sugar Control

Chronic diseases are a major cause of death and illness in the world and diabetics is in sixth rank. As Harati (2009) noted the prevalence of 2nd type diabetes in Iran has accelerated so that more than 1 percent of Iranians over age 20 are affected by it each year. The present study is done in order to improve glycemic control in diabetic patients, reducing the need for costly medical services and enhance their mental health and remove the burdens of the patients and the community. The research method selected 30 diabetic patients of Imam Hossein in Tehran with testing (pretest - posttest of control group) and sampling method in 2012 and randomly classified them into two groups : group1 (treated with EFT- method by Gary Craig , 1995) and the control group . Testing of blood glucose, HbA1C was used as a tool for gathering information for one - way analysis of covariance univariate. The results (Fob:7.24>Fcr:4.22) showed that EFT method was effective in controlling blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n27p1280

Doc, will this injection make my trigger finger go away? commentary on an article by Robert D. Wojahn, MD, et al.: "Long-term outcomes following a single corticosteroid injection for trigger finger".

Commentary Stenosing tenosynovitis, or trigger finger, commonly encountered by primary care physicians, orthopaedic surgeons, and hand specialists, may respond to any of a number of nonoperative measures, including activity modification, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, splinting, and corticosteroid injections. Long-acting corticosteroid injection has become the primary method of initial treatment for the symptomatic trigger finger, with a high reported rate of success, particularly in patients without diabetes with the involvement of a single digit and a short duration of symptoms. Injections of corticosteroids into the flexor tendon sheath are believed to work by reducing tenosynovial swelling and also A-1 pulley thickening to decrease the mismatch between the volume of the flexor tendon sheath and its contents so that the flexor tendon no longer catches in a stenotic sheath. Many different injection techniques and corticosteroid preparations have been reported. Although corticosteroid injections have high success rates in the range of 60% to 92% in the published short-term data, clinicians have noted variability in the efficacy in certain patients who do not respond to one or more injections, most notably in diabetic populations. Furthermore, all previous reports in the literature have been limited by short-term follow-up in the range of months to a maximum of three years, and little is known about the long-term efficacy of corticosteroid injections for this condition. Although complications are infrequent, reported complications of injections include local pain, fat atrophy, elevations in blood and urine glucose levels in diabetic patients, and rarely reported complications of tendon or pulley ruptures1-4. Often patients will ask, “What is the chance that this injection will take care of my problem for good?” In the current study, Wojahn et al. reported the outcome of a first-time corticosteroid injection for trigger finger with a focus on the long-term outcomes to help answer this question. The study evaluated a cohort of 366 patients with a follow-up duration of at least five years to up to ten years, adding important long-term data to the literature on efficacy of trigger finger corticosteroid injection. Failure of an injection was defined as the need for a subsequent injection or surgical release as documented in medical records. The authors are to be commended on their attempt to interview patients who did not return for follow-up visits in the office in an attempt to minimize selection bias that might otherwise overestimate the success rate in patients who did not seek further injection or surgical treatment. Results were stratified as a function of sex, age, type of symptoms, presence of multiple trigger digits, and presence of diabetes. The authors reported a 45% overall long-term success rate after a single injection at the time of the latest follow-up; this number was lower than that previously reported in the literature for short-term success rates. Regression analysis identified that female sex and the presence of a single trigger digit compared with multiple trigger digits were predictive of higher success rates. An increasing failure rate of an injection with time in part explains the authors’ lower success rate compared with results reported in previous studies with shorter-term follow-up, but interestingly the tendency for failure with time was not simply linear as reported by prior authors. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis identified that the vast majority of treatment failures occurred in the first two years, and there was a plateau of treatment failure beyond this time. Specifically, the finding that success beyond two years is likely to predict lasting symptom relief is a useful finding for the clinician to counsel patients on the likelihood of success of a single injection. There were some aspects of study design that limit interpretation of the data. The authors reported results of one particular injection technique and one corticosteroid type and dose, and the results of the current technique and corticosteroid type may not be generalizable across other methods of injection and types of corticosteroid preparations. Furthermore, commonly more than one injection is used with ultimate success, and although the authors decided to report a second injection as a treatment failure for methodological reasons, a successful result after a second injection would likely not be considered a failure to the patient who is able to avoid surgical treatment. Wojahn and colleagues have made an important contribution to the literature in allowing treating physicians to discuss with patients the likelihood that a single corticosteroid injection will eliminate their symptoms in the long term. To my knowledge, this is the longest-term study to ever collect data on the results of corticosteroid injections for trigger finger in a large series of patients. Such data will help providers and patients make informed decisions on the choice of nonoperative or operative measures to treat this commonly encountered problem.

Enhancement of 1-deoxynojirimycin content and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity in mulberry leaf using various fermenting microorganisms isolated from Korean traditional fermented food

Mulberry leaf is known to be effective in inhibiting increases in blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. 1-Deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), a α-glucosidase inhibitor, is the major effective component in mulberry leaf. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of DNJ in mulberry leaves fermented by various microorganisms, including lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and the bacillus isolated from Korean traditional fermented soybean food, and to assess the inhibitory effect of fermented mulberry leaf powder extract (FMLE) on α-glucosidase activity. The DNJ content in unfermented mulberry leaf powder extract (UFMLE), the control, was determined to be 53.2 ± 1.5 mg/100 g (dry weight eq.). Lactobacillus plantarum, Zygosaccharomyces rouxii, Wickerhamomyces anomalus, and Bacillus subtilis remarkably increased the DNJ levels in mulberry leaves by 1.2, 1.5, 2.0, and 1.8-fold, respectively, compared to the control. The inhibitory effects of the FMLEs on α-glucosidase were also examined at various concentrations, and their α-glucosidase inhibitory effects tended to be higher than that in UFMLE. These findings suggest that Korean traditional fermenting microorganisms can be used as starter strains for the development of DNJ-enhanced food products, and that FMLEs have the potential to be used in various functional foods for the prevention of diabetes.

Erratum to: A review of α-amylase inhibitors on weight loss and glycemic control in pathological state such as obesity and diabetes

Overweight, obesity, and diabetes are the most common disorders in the world. In most diets, carbohydrates are the greatest source of calories. Inhibition of carbohydrate digestion or absorption can decrease calorie intake to promote weight loss and combat obesity. It is also a mechanism for reducing hyperglycemia in diabetic subjects. Before being absorbed by the body, carbohydrates must be broken down into monosaccharides. α-Amylase catalyzes the hydrolysis of α-(1,4)-d-glycosidic linkages of starch and other glucose polymers. Inhibitors of this enzyme can be used in treatment of obesity and diabetes. In diabetic patients, inhibition of α-amylase leads to prohibition starch breaking and results in lower levels of blood glucose. The effects of pseudosaccharides, proteinaceous, and polyphenolic inhibitors have been previously reported. Polyphenolic compounds are widely distributed in plants and fruits and are present in normal diets. These compounds have been shown to possess beneficial effects in diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, allergy, inflammation, and osteoporosis. Among polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids are of particular significance: They have been shown to reduce cholesterol synthesis via direct action on HMG-CoA reductase and hydrolyze lipids via inhibition of phosphodiesterase (PDE) and diminution of cAMP breakdown. In recent years, many lines of research have been done on those plants which are being used traditionally as drug plants, and their effects have been surveyed on weight loss and control of blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. In this review, we want to investigate α-amylase inhibitors especially human pancreatic α-amylase (HPA)

Living a healthier lifestyle.

The roles of diet, activity, and exercise have long been recognized as essential to a healthy lifestyle. As Plato stated, “Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.” In his Physiology is Medicine