To investigate the antidiabetic activity of the rhizoma of Anemarrhena asphodeloides in KK-Ay mice

Antidiabetic activity of the rhizoma of Anemarrhena asphodeloides and active components, mangiferin and its glucoside

Department of Clinical Nutrition, Suzuka University of Medical Science, Mie, Japan. miura@suzuka-u.ac.jp

The antidiabetic activity of the rhizoma of Anemarrhena asphodeloides was investigated in KK-Ay mice, an animal model of genetic type 2 diabetes. The water extract of the rhizoma (AA) (90 mg/kg) reduced blood glucose levels from 570 +/- 29 to 401 +/- 59 mg/dl 7 h after oral administration (p<0.05) and also tended to reduce serum insulin levels in KK-Ay mice. AA-treated KK-Ay mice had significantly reduced blood glucose levels in an insulin tolerance test. Based on these results, the antidiabetic mechanism of AA may be due to decreased insulin resistance. In addition, the active components of AA were confirmed to be mangiferin and its glucoside.

To study the effect of rhizomes of Anemarrhena asphodeloides in streptozocin (STZ)-induced diabetic and normal mice

Combined potentiating effect of byakko-ka-ninjin-to, its constituents, rhizomes of Anemarrhena asphodeloides, tomosaponin A-III, and calcium on pilocarpine-induced saliva secretion in streptozocin-diabetic mice

The effects on pilocarpine-induced saliva secretion by a hot aqueous extract of Byakko-ka-ninjin-to (BN), its constituents, rhizomes of Anemarrhena asphodeloides, three saponins (pseudoproto-timosaponin-AIII (An-S-1), proto-timosaponin-AIII (An-S-2) and timosaponin-AIII (An-S-3)) and calcium were examined in streptozocin (STZ)-induced diabetic and normal mice. The hot aqueous extracts of BN (250 and 500 mg/kg, i.p.) and Anemarrhena (170 and 340) mg/kg, i.p.) significantly promoted salivary flow in the diabetic animals, but suppressed it in the normal controls. An-S-2 and An-S-3 but not An-S-1 (10 mg/kg, i.p.), significantly promoted salivary How in the diabetic animals. The potency order was An-S-3 >> An-S-2 >> extract. The hot aqueous extracts of BN and Anemarrhena increased the protein content of saliva in a dose-dependent manner. Combination of An-S-3 (0.1 mg/kg, i.p.) with CaCl2 (2 and 4 mg/kg, i.p.) potentiated salivary flow compared with the respective effect of each on its own. These results demonstrated that 1) An-S-3 was mainly responsible for saliva secretion of the hot aqueous extract, and 2) the effect of An-S-3 was potentiated by combination with calcium, suggesting combined effects of Byakko-ka-ninjin-to containing Anemarrhena asphodeloides and gypsum fiber (calcium).

The antihyperglycaemic blend effect of traditional chinese medicine byakko-ka-ninjin-to on alloxan and diabetic KK-CA(y) mice

The antihyperglycaemic interaction (blend effect) of component crude drugs included in a traditional Chinese prescription, Byakko-ka-ninjin-to (BN; consisted of five crude drugs, ginseng, anemarrhena,-licorice, gypsum and rice) was investigated using genetically obese diabetic KK-CA(y) mice and alloxan-diabetic mice. The water extract of ginseng, anemarrhena, licorice and gypsum when individually tested markedly lowered blood glucose levels in diabetic animals. Antihyperglycaemic effects of ginseng-anemarrhena and ginseng-licorice combinations were decreased compared with the respective individual-effects. Such decreased effects were partially reversed by adding gypsum or by substituting CaCl(2) for gypsum. The combination of D-O-ANa and glycyrrhizin, respectively the main constituents from ginseng and licorice, also demonstrated a decreased effect compared with the respective individual effects. The CaCl(2) at 0.5 mg/kg (i.p.) was sufficient to partially reverse these effects. These results indicate that antihyperglycaemic effects of BN depend on four crude drugs and Ca(2+) in the blend.