Preparation of a Novel Oat <i>β</i>-Glucan–Chromium(III) Complex and Its Hypoglycemic Effect and Mechanism
Pengshou Li,
Yunlu Wang,
Xiaoting Wang,
Rui Li,
Kaihui Wang,
Yu Jiang,
Mingyuan Zhang,
Chuhan Huang,
Qixiang Ma,
Jian Sun,
Jianye Quan
Affiliations
Pengshou Li
College of Food and Drug, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471934, China
Yunlu Wang
College of Food and Drug, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471934, China
Xiaoting Wang
College of Food and Drug, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471934, China
Rui Li
College of Food and Drug, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471934, China
Kaihui Wang
College of Food and Drug, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471934, China
Yu Jiang
College of Food and Drug, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471934, China
Mingyuan Zhang
College of Food and Drug, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471934, China
Chuhan Huang
College of Food and Drug, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471934, China
Qixiang Ma
Cancer Institute, Fudan University Cancer Hospital and Cancer Metabolism Laboratory, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Jian Sun
Experimental Research Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
Jianye Quan
Experimental Research Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
This study synthesized a novel oat β-glucan (OBG)-Cr(III) complex (OBG-Cr(III)) and explored its structure, inhibitory effects on α-amylase and α-glucosidase, and hypoglycemic activities and mechanism in vitro using an insulin-resistant HepG2 (IR-HepG2) cell model. The Cr(III) content in the complex was found to be 10.87%. The molecular weight of OBG-Cr(III) was determined to be 7.736 × 104 Da with chromium ions binding to the hydroxyl groups of OBG. This binding resulted in the increased asymmetry and altered spatial conformation of the complex along with significant changes in morphology and crystallinity. Our findings demonstrated that OBG-Cr(III) exhibited inhibitory effects on α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Furthermore, OBG-Cr(III) enhanced the insulin sensitivity of IR-HepG2 cells, promoting glucose uptake and metabolism more efficiently than OBG alone. The underlying mechanism of its hypoglycemic effect involved the modulation of the c-Cbl/PI3K/AKT/GLUT4 signaling pathway, as revealed by Western blot analysis. This research not only broadened the applications of OBG but also positioned OBG-Cr(III) as a promising Cr(III) supplement with enhanced hypoglycemic benefits.
