• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.526-536
• /
• 2021

This study was conducted to investigate the anti-obesity effect of Discorea Japonica Thunb. fermented with Monascus After inducing obesity by feeding hight fat diet (diet induced obesity model: DIO) for four weeks, each 8 rats were assigned to normal (Nor), high fat diet (HF), high fat diet containing orlistat (PC), high fat diet containing different concentration of Discorea Japonica Thunb. fermented with Monascus (UPDM_L, UPDM_H) and Discorea Japonica Thunb. (UPD) extract. Although the UPD, UPDM_L (ultrafine pulverized Discorea Japonica Thunb. fermented with Monascus: 400 mg/kg) and UPDM_H (DIO oral administration ultrafine pulverized Discorea Japonica Thunb. fermented with Monascus: 800 mg/kg) showed weight gain inhibition effects, the results of poor obesity inhibition rather than PC were confirmed. However, it showed a more effective weight loss effect in UPDM_H than UPD, and significantly reduced the weight of epididymal fat and subcutaneous fat. Furthermore, the possibility of anti-obesity effects of Discorea Japonica Thunb. fermented with Monascus can be confirmed by observing the effects of reducing serum total cholesterol, triglyceride and LDL concentrations, reducing ALT and AST levels, and inhibiting fat build-up in liver tissue. It is believed that Discorea Japonica Thunb. fermented with Monascus can be expected to utilize as a functional material that is important to improve anti-obesity and metabolic syndrome.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.38 no.10
• /
• pp.1331-1335
• /
• 2009

We have studied the anti-diabetic effects of medicinal plant water extracts on hepatic glucose-regulating enzymes such as glucokinase (GK) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). $\alpha$-Glucosidase inhibitor is usually used to prevent and treat type II diabetes; thus, anti-$\alpha$-glucosidase activity of medicinal plant water extracts was assayed. The hepatic cytosol faction of a type II diabetic animal (Goto-Kakizaki rat) was used in GK and ACC activity assays. The medicinal plants were Lycium chinense (JGP), Discorea japonica Thunb. (SY), Pyrus pyrifolia (YSB), Cornus officinalis (SSY), Paeonia suffruticosa ANDR. (MDP), Cordyceps militaris (DCH), and Acanthopanax senticosus (GSO). JGP, SY, YSB, and SSY water extracts increased the hepatic GK activity and all medicinal plant water extracts led to an increase in hepatic ACC activity. YSB, SSY, MDP, and GSO water extracts showed significantly higher anti-$\alpha$-glucosidase activity than control samples. The highest anti-$\alpha$-glucosidase activity was observed in GSO water extract and the anti-$\alpha$-glucoside activity was higher than that of Acarbose (reference $\alpha$-glucosidase inhibitor). We suggest that JGP, SY, YSB, and SSY water extracts may exert an anti-diabetic effect by enhancing the glucose metabolism and that YSB, MDP and GSO may be used as natural $\alpha$-glucosidase inhibitors in type II diabetic conditions. Increased ACC activity by plant water extracts may provide additional anti-diabetic effect.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.511-517
• /
• 1992

The hypoglycemic effects of Korean wild vegetables : Capsella bursa-pastoris Medicus(CBM) Commelina communis L. (CCL) Calystegics japonica Choisy(CJC) Discorea japonica Thunb(DJT) and Persicaria perfolidata Gross(PPG) in diabetic rats were determined. Sixty male Sprague-Dawley diabetic rats(130~180g) induced by the streptozotocin (45mg/kg) injection into the tail vein were fed either a control or experimental diets for four weeks. The plasma levels of glucose and cholesterol were measured. The urinary glucose levels were monitored. Crude fiber mineral(Ca, Fe, Zn and Cr) and ascorbic acid contents of the wild vegetables were analyzed. The extents of blood glucose decrement in CCL. DJT or PPG fed rats were greater than that in the control group. This extents of decrement in CBM or CJC fed rats were not significan-tly different from that in the control group. The urinary glucose was shown to be negative to Band reagent strip in CCL or DJT group at the 4th week. The plasma cholesterol levels of all the groups including control group were not essentially different. It is suggested that the intakes of CCL or DJT could be useful for prevetive and therapeutic approches to alleviate the hyperglycemic status in diabetes mellitus.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.46 no.2
• /
• pp.119-125
• /
• 2013

We studied the anti-diabetic effects of medicinal herb water extracts on expression of hepatic glucokinase (GCK), pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) mRNA. The medicinal herbs used for experiments were Cornus officinalis (CO), Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews (PSA), Discorea japonica Thunb. (DJ), Rehmannia glutinosa (RG), Lycium chinense (LC), and Pyrus pyrifolia (PP). For GCK mRNA expression, CO, RG, and LC water extracts exhibited a more effective activity than other extracts. Cells treated with RG and LC water extracts showed an increase in expression of PDH mRNA to 191% and 124%, respectively, compared to control. Expression of ACC mRNA was significantly higher in LC water extract. These data indicate that CO, RG, and LC water extracts stimulates expression of hepatic GCK, PDH, and ACC mRNA.