Page 44 - N. Metabolism and metabolic diseases

[N. Metabolism and metabolic diseases-25]

A plant flavonoid glycoside QXG reduces blood glucose level

through enhancement of insulin sensitivity in high-fat diet-

induced insulin resistant mice

Gi Eun Park¹, Ramakanta Lamichhane¹, Seong Cheol Kim¹, Hee Jin Kim¹, Jin Ree¹, Jae Kyung Sohng²,

Yong Il Park¹˙*

¹Department of Biotechnology, The Catholic University of Korea, Bucheon 14662, Republic of Korea, ²Department

of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Institute of Biomolecule Reconstruction, Sun Moon University, Asansi 31460,
Republic of Korea

Insulin resistance and glucose absorption disorders in skeletal muscle are major pathological symptoms of type 2

diabetes. In this study, the antidiabetic activity of the natural flavonoid glycoside QXG was evaluated using high-fat
diet (HFD)-induced type 2 diabetic model mice. The mouse model was established by feeding C57BL/6 mice with

HFD for 10 weeks. These mice were orally administered with QXG (10 mg/kg body weight) for 4 weeks. For
comparison, metformin (250 mg/kg body weight), which is well known anti-diabetic drug, was used. The QXG

diminished blood glucose level and glucose tolerance level compared to HFD group. The oral administration of
QXG significantly decreased the serum levels of AST and ALT which were elevated by HFD, indicating that QXG did

not show any liver toxicity. The results showed that QXG significantly reduced the HFD-induced elevated levels of
serum glucose, insulin, and total cholesterol, and enhanced the expression of IRS2 and GLUT4 protein genes in the

HFD-induced hyperglycemic mouse muscle tissues. It was also shown that the in vivo anti-diabetic effect of QXG
(10 mg/kg) was comparable to that of metformin (250 mg/kg), revealing that QXG was, at least similar, or more
effective than metformin in improvement of HFD-induced type 2 diabetes.