• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.4 no.6
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• pp.486-491
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• 2010

Tight control of blood glucose is the most important strategy for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Here, we investigated the beneficial effects of Welsh onion on fasting and postprandial hyperglycemia. Inhibitory activities of hot water extracts from the green stalk and white bulb, which are the edible portions of the Welsh onion, and the fibrous root extract against yeast ${\alpha}$-glucosidase were measured in vitro. To study the effects of Welsh onion on postprandial hyperglycemia, a starch solution (1 g/kg) with and without Welsh onion fibrous root extract (500 mg/kg) or acarbose (50 mg/kg) was administered to streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats after an overnight fast. Postprandial plasma glucose levels were measured and incremental areas under the response curve were calculated. To study the hypoglycemic effects of chronic feeding of Welsh onion, five-week-old db/db mice were fed an AIN-93G diet or a diet containing either Welsh onion fibrous root extract at 0.5% or acarbose at 0.05% for 7 weeks after 1 week of adaptation. Fasting plasma glucose and blood glycated hemoglobin were measured. Compared to the extract from the edible portions of Welsh onion, the fibrous root extract showed stronger inhibition against yeast ${\alpha}$-glucosidase, with an $IC_{50}$ of 239 ${\mu}g/mL$. Oral administration of Welsh onion fibrous root extract (500 mg/kg) and acarbose (50 mg/kg) significantly decreased incremental plasma glucose levels 30-120 min after oral ingestion of starch as well as the area under the postprandial glucose response curve, compared to the control group (P < 0.01). The plasma glucose and blood glycated hemoglobin levels of the Welsh onion group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < 0.01), and were not significantly different from those fed acarbose. Thus, we conclude that the fibrous root of Welsh onion is effective in controlling hyperglycemia in animal models of diabetes mellitus.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.329-335
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• 2008

Korean Deep ground sea-like water (KDSW) has a similar mineral composition with deep sea water. KDSW has demonstrated its usefulness and attracted in the medical fields. KDSW and Danasoo (desalted deep ground sea-like water) intake improve antioxidant, antidiabetic activity and immunity. Antioxidant activities of KDSW and Dnansoo were measured by using 2,2-diphenyl-l-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical, superoxide dismutase-like activity (SODA) and photochemiluminescence (PCL). DPPH radical scavenging and SOD-like activities of KDSW and Danasoo were remarkably increased in a dose-dependent manner. Antioxidant activities of KDSW and Danasoo 85.32 and 14.02 nmol of ascorbic acid equivalent/ml KDSW and Danasoo, respectively, using the PCL method. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in macrophages RAW264.7 cells was inhibited up to 30% by treatment with Danasoo (20%). NO is synthesized by the enzyme of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and plays an important role tumor growth and angiogenesis. The anticancer effects of Danasoo on human gastric and lung cancer cells was performed by levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Danasoo significantly reduced iNOS expression of human gastric cancer (SNU-l) and lung carcinoma (A549). The serum glucose level was significantly reduced by Danasoo (20%) diet in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. These result suggest that KDSW has excellent biological activities and thus it has great potential as a source for natural health products.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.10
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• pp.1257-1262
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• 2007

To develop basidiomycetes-fermented cereals with hypoglycemic property, inhibitory effects of basidiomycetes mycelia and basidiomycetes-fermented cereals on postprandial glucose were investigated. In vitro effect of basidiomycetes mycelia on retarding the membrane transport of glucose was compared with pectin. For basidiomycetes mycelia, $13.1{\pm}3.6{\sim}41.8{\pm}8.0%$ of total glucose remained in inner solution of dialysis membrane after dialysis for 120 min, indicating that most of basidiomycetes mycelia might effectively retard membrane transport of glucose. Glucose tolerance of basidiomycetes mycelia and basidiomycetes-fermented cereals was tested on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats administrated with maltose. Postprandial glucose levels of basidiomycetes mycelia, $389.4{\pm}43.8{\sim}426.3{\pm}49.4mg/dL$, were considerably lower than that of control, $535.3{\pm}78.6mg/dL$, at 30 minutes after maltose administration. Namely, basidiomycetes mycelia showed better postprandial glucose lowering effect than pectin. Brown rice and barley fermented with Paecilomyces japonica showed much lower postprandial glucose level than raw brown rice and barley, especially hypoglycemic effect of barley fermented with Paecilomyces japonica was significant.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.413-417
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate the hypoglycemic effect of Saururus chinensis Baill in vitro and in vivo. Methanol extract of S. chinensis Baill inhibited yeast ${\alpha}$-glucosidase activity by 49.8%, which was twice as strong as that of acarbose at a concentration of 0.5 mg/mL in vitro. The effect of S. chinensis Baill methanol extract on the postprandial increase in blood glucose levels was studied in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats using a carbohydrate load test. Oral administration of S. chinensis Baill extract (500 mg/kg) significantly decreased incremental blood glucose levels at 60 and 90 min (p<0.05) after oral ingestion of starch (1 g/kg). The area under the glucose response curve of the S. chinensis Baill group was significantly decreased compared to that of the control group (p<0.05). The effect of prolonged feeding of S. chinensis Baill was studied in an animal model of type 2 diabetes. Three-week-old db/db mice were fed an AIN-93G diet or a diet containing 0.5% S. chinensis Baill extract for 7 weeks after 1 week of adaptation. Plasma glucose, insulin, and blood glycated hemoglobin levels of the mice fed S. chinensis Baill extract were significantly lower than those of the control group (p<0.05). Therefore, we conclude that S. chinensis Baill is effective in controlling hyperglycemia in animal models of diabetes mellitus.