Constituents of the stem of Cucurbita moschata exhibit antidiabetic activities through multiple mechanisms

Chi-I Chang; Chih-Ming Hsu; Ting-Syuan Li; Shen-Da Huang; Chen-Chen Lin; Chia-Hung Yen; Chang-Hung Chou; Hsueh-Ling Cheng

Journal of Functional Foods (Sep 2014)

Constituents of the stem of Cucurbita moschata exhibit antidiabetic activities through multiple mechanisms

Chi-I Chang,
Chih-Ming Hsu,
Ting-Syuan Li,
Shen-Da Huang,
Chen-Chen Lin,
Chia-Hung Yen,
Chang-Hung Chou,
Hsueh-Ling Cheng

Affiliations

Chi-I Chang: Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, No. 1, Shuehfu Rd., Neipu, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan
Chih-Ming Hsu: Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, No. 1, Shuehfu Rd., Neipu, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan
Ting-Syuan Li: Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, No. 1, Shuehfu Rd., Neipu, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan
Shen-Da Huang: Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, No. 1, Shuehfu Rd., Neipu, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan
Chen-Chen Lin: Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, No. 1, Shuehfu Rd., Neipu, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan
Chia-Hung Yen: Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, No. 1, Shuehfu Rd., Neipu, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan
Chang-Hung Chou: Research Center for Biodiversity and Graduate Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, China Medical University, 91, Hsueh-Shih Road, Taichung 40402, Taiwan; Co-corresponding author. Tel.: +886 4 2205366 ext 1633; fax: +886 4 22071500.
Hsueh-Ling Cheng: Department of Biological Science and Technology, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, No. 1, Shuehfu Rd., Neipu, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan; Corresponding author. Tel.: +886 8 7703202 ext 5186; fax: +886 8 7740550.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 10
pp. 260 – 273

Abstract

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Pumpkin has been suggested to have an antidiabetic effect, but the bioactives involved and molecular mechanisms mediating its hypoglycaemic activity are not clear. This study characterized some of the hypoglycaemic constituents in the crude extract of the Cucurbita moschata stem and investigated the mechanisms of their action. The C. moschata stem extract showed a hypoglycaemic effect in vivo in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. Several hypoglycaemic fractions of the extract were identified via cell-based screening, and two of them were confirmed to have hypoglycaemic activities in vivo. Ten compounds were afforded from the 2 fractions. Compounds 9 [(22E,24R)-24-methyl-6β-methoxy-5α-cholesta-7,22-diene-3β,5-diol] and 10 [3β-hydroxy-(22E,24R)-ergosta-5,8,22-trien-7-one] showed an insulin-like activity in normal cells that may be mediated by AMP-activated protein kinase. Compounds 4 (ferulic acid), 8 (syringaresinol) and 9 exhibited an insulin sensitizing and/or insulin substitution function in insulin-resistant cells. Thus, the C. moschata stem contains compounds with potential for managing type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Published in Journal of Functional Foods

ISSN: 1756-4646 (Print); 2214-9414 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Technology: Home economics: Nutrition. Foods and food supply
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-functional-foods

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