• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.196-204
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• 2009

This study was carried out to investigate the in vivo and in vitro inhibitory effect of a traditional herbal complex (HC) extract prepared from a mixture of four oriental herbs (Dioscorea Rhizoma, Glycine soja Sieb. et Zucc, Bombycis corpus, Fermented Glycine soja) that have been widely used for the treatment and prevention of diabetes mellitus on hyperglycemia. The water extract of HC showed potent inhibitory effect on $\alpha$-glucosidase with $IC_{50}$ value of 1.24 mg/mL. Additionally, the ethanol extract of HC was also found to exhibit significant inhibitory effect against protein tyrosine phosphatase $1{\beta}$ ($PTP1{\beta}$), which is known as a major regulator of both insulin and leptin signaling. In the $PTP1{\beta}$ inhibitory assay, the most active n-hexane fraction obtained from the ethanol extract of HC, was identified as a mixture of fatty acid derivatives by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In high-fat diet-low dose streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat, the water extract of HC improved the oral glucose intolerance as compared with rosiglitazone. HC also caused a marked decrease of body weight and fasting blood glucose and a significant improvement on glucose tolerance in metabolic syndrome mice model. These findings support that this traditional HC may be useful in the control of blood glucose in diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.345-350
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of Cynanchi wilfordii Radix extracts (CRE) on the improvement of the lipid compositions and blood pressure level in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) fed an experimental diet for 5 weeks. The rats were divided into 3 groups: a control group, a 0.5% CRE treated group, and a 1% CRE treated group. Consumption of CRE extract for 5 weeks in SHR significantly suppressed blood pressure rise with aging (p<0.05). After eating the experimental diets, the triglycerides in serum was significantly lower in the CRE group than that in the control group. The fasting glucose levels of the 0.5% and 1% CRE group had a tendency to be lower compared with those of the control group. Total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and HTR (HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol) of the SHR in the 0.5% and 1% CRE diet were significantly increased compared to the control diet. Thus, long term consumption of CRE might be beneficial in lowering high blood pressure and the improvement of lipid metabolism in SHR rats.