White button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) lowers blood glucose and cholesterol levels in diabetic and hypercholesterolemic rats.

Sambucus nigra (elder) has been documented as a traditional treatment of diabetes. In the present study, an aqueous extract of elder (AEE, 1 g/L) significantly increased 2-deoxy-glucose transport, glucose oxidation and glycogenesis of mouse abdominal muscle in the absence of added insulin (2 x 2 factorial design). in acute 20-min tests, 0.25-1 g/L AEE evoked a stepwise stimulation of insulin secretion from clonal pancreatic beta-cells. The insulin releasing effect of AEE (0.5 g/L) was significantly potentiated by 16.7 mmol/L of glucose and significantly reduced by 0.5 mmol/L of diazoxide. AEE did not further enhance insulin secretion in cells stimulated by 10 mmol/L of L-alanine, 1 mmol/L of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine or a depolarizing concentration of KCl (25 mmol/L). Prior exposure of clonal pancreatic beta-cells to AEE did not alter subsequent stimulation of insulin secretion induced by 10 mmol/L of L-alanine, thereby precluding a detrimental effect on cell viability. The insulinotropic action of AEE was partially dependent upon use of heat during extract preparation. Activity of AEE was heat-stable, acetone-insoluble and unaltered by prolonged exposure to acid/alkali (0.1 mol/L of HCl and NaOH). However, activity was significantly decreased 41% by dialysis to remove components with molecular mass <2000 Da. Sequential extraction with solvents revealed activity in both methanol and water fractions, indicating a cumulative effect of more than one extract constituent. Known constituents of elder, including lectin, rutin and the lipophilic triterpenoid (lupeol) and sterol (beta-sitosterol), did not stimulate insulin secretion. The results demonstrate the presence of insulin-releasing and insulin-like activity in the traditional antidiabetic plant, Sambucus nigra.

The Traditional Plant Treatment, Sambucus nigra (elder), Exhibits Insulin-Like and Insulin-Releasing Actions In Vitro

Approximately 600-700 species of Ipomoea, Convolvulaceae, are found throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Several of those species have been used as ornamental plants, food, medicines or in religious ritual. The present work reviews the traditional uses, chemistry and biological activities of Ipomoea species and illustrates the potential of the genus as a source of therapeutic agents. These species are used in different parts of the world for the treatment of several diseases, such as, diabetes, hypertension, dysentery, constipation, fatigue, arthritis, rheumatism, hydrocephaly, meningitis, kidney ailments and inflammations. Some of these species showed antimicrobial, analgesic, spasmolitic, spasmogenic, hypoglycemic, hypotensive, anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory, psychotomimetic and anticancer activities. Alkaloids, phenolics compounds and glycolipids are the most common biologically active constituents from these plant extracts.

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Review of the genus Ipomoea: traditional uses, chemistry and biological activities

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Nature's own pharmacy: The diabetes perspective

Antinociceptive properties of the methanolic extract obtained from Ipomoea pes-caprae (L.) R. Br.

Thein vitro basal insulin release and45Ca2+ uptake by rat islets of Langerhans remain unaffected by the animal’s age. However, whenAgaricus bisporus lectin PHA-B is added to the medium, there is a significant stimulation of basal insulin secretion and45Ca2+ uptake. The islets isolated from younger rats are more sensitive toA. bisporus PHA-B stimulation and register 1.5-fold and 3-fold more increases of insulin release and45Ca2+ uptake respectively as compared to islets isolated from 12-month-old rats. Age-related conformational changes in the B-cell membrane are suggested as a possible explanation for the above observation.

Effect of age on Agaricus bisporus PHA-B stimulated insulin release and 45Ca2+ uptake in vitro by islets of Langerhans.

Insulinogenic and hypoglycemic activities of Ipomoea pescaprae

Two synthetic analogs of CCK-4, Glp-Met-Asp-Phe-NH2 (I) and Pro-Met-Asp-Phe-NH2 (II) reported earlier to stimulate insulin release from the isolated rat pancreatic isletsin vitro at concentrations as low as 10−10 M, have now been found to be totally ineffective as glucagon releasers at concentrations as high as 10−6 M or higher. It is evident that the replacement of Trp in CCK- 4 by Glp and Pro residues leads to peptides which exhibit insulin releasing activity without stimulating the release of glucagon.

Synthetic analogs of cholecystokinin terminal tetrapeptide that stimulate insulin but not glucagon release from pancreatic islets.

Agaricus bisporus lectin (PHA-B) stimulates insulin release in vitro. The stimulation is associated with increased conversion of proinsulin to insulin in the isolated islets of Langerhans of rats. Both these functions are directly proportional to the binding of I125 PHA-B, which is more marked in the islets from younger rats. The lectin binding to islets is not affected by glucose concentration in the medium.

M. Mubin Khan

Papers

Effect of age on Agaricus bisporus PHA-B stimulated insulin release and 45Ca2+ uptake in vitro by islets of Langerhans.

Insulinogenic and hypoglycemic activities of Ipomoea pescaprae

Synthetic analogs of cholecystokinin terminal tetrapeptide that stimulate insulin but not glucagon release from pancreatic islets.

Effect of age on the binding of lectin 125I-PHA-B to pancreatic islets of rat in vitro and stimulation of some cellular events.