Nutr Res Pract.  2011 Apr;5(2):107-111.

Quercetin attenuates fasting and postprandial hyperglycemia in animal models of diabetes mellitus

• Kim JH
• Kang MJ
• Choi HN
• Jeong SM
• Lee YM
• Kim JI

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the hypoglycemic effects of quercetin (QE) in animal models of diabetes mellitus (DM). A starch solution (1 g/kg) with and without QE (100 mg/kg) or acarbose (40 mg/kg) was orally administered to streptozotocin (STZ)-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 effects of chronic feeding of QE, five-week-old db/db mice were fed an AIN-93G diet, a diet containing QE at 0.08%, or a diet containing acarbose at 0.03% for 7 weeks after 1 week of adaptation. Plasma glucose and insulin, blood glycated hemoglobin, and maltase activity of the small intestine were measured. Oral administration of QE (100 mg/kg) or acarbose (40 mg/kg) to STZ-treated rats significantly decreased incremental plasma glucose levels 30-180 min after a single oral dose of starch and the area under the postprandial glucose response, compared with the control group. QE (0.08% of diet) or acarbose (0.03% of diet) offered to db/db mice significantly reduced both plasma glucose and blood glycated hemoglobin compared to controls without significant influence on plasma insulin. Small intestine maltase activities were significantly reduced by consumption of QE or acarbose. Thus, QE could be effective in controlling fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels in animal models of DM.

Keyword

Quercetin; glucose; glycated hemoglobin; postprandial hyperglycemia; db/db mouse

MeSH Terms

Acarbose
Administration, Oral
Animals
Blood Glucose
Diabetes Mellitus
Diet
Fasting
Glucose
Hemoglobins
Hyperglycemia
Hypoglycemic Agents
Insulin
Intestine, Small
Mice
Models, Animal
Plasma
Quercetin
Rats
Starch
Streptozocin
Acarbose
Blood Glucose
Glucose
Hemoglobins
Hypoglycemic Agents
Insulin
Quercetin
Starch
Streptozocin

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Effect of quercetin on postprandial blood glucose response in STZ-induced diabetic rats. Control group (◦): Soluble starch (1 g/kg) was administered orally to STZ-induced diabetic rats after an overnight fast. Quercetin group (•): Starch (1 g/kg) with quercetin (100 mg/kg) was administered orally to rats after an overnight fast. Acarbose group (♦): Starch (1 g/kg) with acarbose (40 mg/kg) was administered orally to rats after an overnight fast. Values represent mean ± SD (n = 6). Means not sharing common letters are significantly different (*P < 0.05. **P < 0.01).

• 

  Fig. 2 Hypoglycemic effects of quercetin in db/db mice. A, Plasma glucose level; B, Insulin level; and C, Blood glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) level. Values represent mean ± SD (n = 6). Means not sharing common letters are significantly different (P < 0.01).

• 

  Fig. 3 Effect of quercetin on maltase activity of small intestine in db/db mice. Values represent mean ± SD (n = 6). Means not sharing common letters are significantly different (*P < 0.05. **P < 0.01).

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