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Planta Med 1996; 62(5): 440-443
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-957935
Paper

© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Hypoglycemic Effect of the Rhizomes of Polygala senega in Normal and Diabetic Mice and its Main Component, the Triterpenoid Glycoside Senegin-II

Mami Kako1 , Toshihiro Miura2 , Yumi Nishiyama2 , Momoyo Ichimaru2 , Masataka Moriyasu2 , Atsushi Kato2
  • 1Suzuka University of Medical Science and Technology, 1001-1 Kishioka-cho, Suzuka, Mie 510-02, Japan
  • 2Kobe Pharmaceutical University, 4-19-1 Motoyamakita-machi, Higashinada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 658, Japan
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Publication History

1995

1996

Publication Date:
04 January 2007 (online)

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Abstract

The hypoglycemic effect of the rhizomes of Polygala senega L. var. latifolia Torrey et Gray (Polygalaceae) was investigated in normal and KK-Ay mice, one of the model animals of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The n-butanol extract of senega rhizomes (SN) (5 mg/kg) reduced the blood glucose of normal mice from 191 ± 3 to 120 ± 3 mg/dl 4 hours after intra peritonea I administration (P < 0.001), and also showed a significant decrease in the glucose level of KK-Ay mice from 469 ± 38 to 244 ± 14 mg/dl under similar conditions (P < 0.001). But streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice did not experience a change in the blood glucose after administration of SN. We propose that the hypoglycemic effect of SN occurs without altering the insulin concentration. Moreover, SN needs the presence of insulin in order to act. In addition, one of the active components of the hypoglycemic effect was identified as a triterpenoid glycoside, senegin-II.

Key words

Hypoglycemic effect - Polygala senega L. var. - Polygalaceae - triterpenoid glycoside - senegin-II

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