Hypoglycemic effects and mechanisms of Portulaca oleracea L. in alloxan-induced diabetic rats

摘要

Portulaca oleracea?L.?(POL)?has been used as one of the traditional oriental medicines to treat?bacteria, virus, antherasis, caducity, diabetes and for enhancing immunity.?This study aims at revealing effects of POL?on alloxan-induced diabetic rats and its mechanisms.?According to thin layer chromatography assay, the main compounds of?POL?included?organic acid,flavonoids,?alkaloids,?terpene ansteroid,?hydroxybenzene, saponin and polysaccharide. The rats were divided into four groups: normal control (NC), diabetes control (DC), diabetes +?POL?high dose?(400 mg/kg), diabetes?+?POLlow dose (200 mg/kg). The diabetic rats were administrated with?POL or dH2Odaily for 28 days. The?POL?treatment resulted in significant decreases of fasting blood glucose,?total cholesterol and triglycerides.?POL?also showed a tendency of improvement body weight gain on diabetic rats.?Furthermore, the DC group had low serum insulin level comparing with that of NC?group, at the same time,the insulin levels were dose-dependently raised in the?POL-treated groups than that of DC?group. According to single cell gel electrophoresis and LD50?analysis, POL was proved to be nontoxic to the animals. The results indicate that POL would alleviate the blood glucose and lipid rising associated?with diabetes, and improve the abnormal glucose metabolism and increase insulin secretion?byrestoring the impaired pancrease β cells in alloxan-induced diabetic rats, which suggest?that POL?has the hypoglycemic potential and could be useful on the diabetes therapy.