Hypoglycaemic activity and molecular mechanisms of Caesalpinia ferrea Martius bark extract on streptozotocin-induced diabetes in Wistar rats

The tea from the stem bark of Caesalpinia ferrea Martius (Leguminosae) has been popularly used in the treatment of diabetes in Brazil. To investigate the hypoglycaemic properties and to elucidate the mechanisms by which the aqueous extract of the stem bark of Caesalpinia ferrea reduces blood glucose...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of ethnopharmacology 2011-10, Vol.137 (3), p.1533-1541
Main Authors: Vasconcelos, C.F.B., Maranhão, H.M.L., Batista, T.M., Carneiro, E.M., Ferreira, F., Costa, J., Soares, L.A.L., Sá, M.D.C., Souza, T.P., Wanderley, A.G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC)
Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase - metabolism
Administration, Oral
AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)
AMP-Activated Protein Kinases - metabolism
Animals
Blood Glucose - drug effects
Blood Glucose - metabolism
Blotting, Western
Body Weight - drug effects
Caesalpinia - chemistry
Caesalpinia ferrea
Diabetes
Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - blood
Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - drug therapy
Drinking - drug effects
Eating - drug effects
Energy Metabolism - drug effects
Glucose Tolerance Test
Hypoglycemic Agents - administration & dosage
Hypoglycemic Agents - isolation & purification
Hypoglycemic Agents - pharmacology
Leguminosae
Liver - drug effects
Liver - enzymology
Male
Metformin - pharmacology
Muscle, Skeletal - drug effects
Muscle, Skeletal - enzymology
Phosphorylation
Plant Bark
Plant Extracts - administration & dosage
Plant Extracts - isolation & purification
Plant Extracts - pharmacology
Plants, Medicinal
Protein kinase B
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt - metabolism
Rats
Rats, Wistar
Signal Transduction - drug effects
Time Factors
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Summary:The tea from the stem bark of Caesalpinia ferrea Martius (Leguminosae) has been popularly used in the treatment of diabetes in Brazil. To investigate the hypoglycaemic properties and to elucidate the mechanisms by which the aqueous extract of the stem bark of Caesalpinia ferrea reduces blood glucose levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats via the enzymatic pathways of protein kinase B (PKB/Akt), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). The aqueous extract of the stem bark of Caesalpinia ferrea (300 and 450mg/kg/day), vehicle and metformin (500mg/kg/day) were administered orally to STZ-diabetic rats (n=7/group) for 4 weeks. Changes in body weight, food and water intake, fasting glucose levels and oral glucose tolerance were evaluated. Phosphorylation (P) and the expression of Akt, AMPK and ACC in the liver and skeletal muscle were determined using Western blot. The aqueous extract of the stem bark of Caesalpinia ferrea reduced blood glucose levels and improved the metabolic state of the animals. P-Akt was increased in the liver and skeletal muscle of the treated animals, P-AMPK was reduced only in the skeletal muscle of these animals and P-ACC was reduced in both when compared with untreated rats. The results indicate that the aqueous extract of the stem bark of Caesalpinia ferrea has hypoglycaemic properties and possibly acts to regulate glucose uptake in liver and muscles by way of Akt activation, restoring the intracellular energy balance confirmed by inhibition of AMPK activation.
ISSN:0378-8741
1872-7573
DOI:10.1016/j.jep.2011.08.059