Anti-diabetic effect of cinnamon extract on blood glucose in db/db mice

Sung Hee Kima, Sun Hee Hyuna and Se Young ChoungCorresponding Author Contact Information, a, E-mail The Corresponding Author

A Department of Hygienic Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Republic of Korea Received 16 December 2004; revised 5 August 2005; accepted 26 August 2005. Available online 5 October 2005.

The anti-diabetic effect of Cinnamomi cassiae extract (Cinnamon bark: Lauraceae) in a type II diabetic animal model (C57BIKsj db/db) was studied. Cinnamon extract was administered at different dosages (50, 100, 150 and 200 mg/kg) for 6 weeks. It was found that blood glucose concentration is significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.001) with the most in the 200 mg/kg group compared with the control. In addition, serum insulin levels and HDL–cholesterol levels were significantly higher (P < 0.01) and the concentration of triglyceride, total cholesterol and intestinal α-glycosidase activity were significantly lower after 6 weeks of the administration. These results suggest that cinnamon extract has a regulatory role in blood glucose level and lipids and it may also exert a blood glucose-suppressing effect by improving insulin sensitivity or slowing absorption of carbohydrates in the small intestine.

Source: Sciencedirect

Horm Metab Res. 2010 Mar;42(3):187-93. Epub 2009 Nov 23.

Cinnamon extract regulates plasma levels of adipose-derived factors and expression of multiple genes related to carbohydrate metabolism and lipogenesis in adipose tissue of fructose-fed rats.

Qin B, Polansky MM, Anderson RA.

Diet, Genomics, and Immunology Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA. [email protected]

We reported earlier that dietary cinnamon extract (CE) improves systemic insulin sensitivity and dyslipidemia by enhancing insulin signaling. In the present study, we have examined the effects of CE on several biomarkers including plasma levels of adipose-derived adipokines, and the potential molecular mechanisms of CE in epididymal adipose tissue (EAT). In Wistar rats fed a high-fructose diet (HFD) to induce insulin resistance, supplementation with a CE (Cinnulin PF, 50 mg/kg daily) for 8 weeks reduced blood glucose, plasma insulin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, chylomicron-apoB48, VLDL-apoB100, and soluble CD36. CE also inhibited plasma retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) and fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) levels. CE-induced increases in plasma adiponectin were not significant. CE did not affect food intake, bodyweight, and EAT weight. In EAT, there were increases in the insulin receptor ( IR) and IR substrate 2 ( IRS2) mRNA, but CE-induced increases in mRNA expression of IRS1, phosphoinositide-3-kinase, AKT1, glucose transporters 1 and 4 , and glycogen synthase 1 expression and decreased trends in mRNA expression of glycogen synthase kinase 3beta were not statistically significant. CE also enhanced the mRNA levels of ADIPOQ, and inhibited sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c mRNA levels. mRNA and protein levels of fatty acid synthase and FABP4 were inhibited by CE and RBP4, and CD36 protein levels were also decreased by CE. These results suggest that CE effectively ameliorates circulating levels of adipokines partially mediated via regulation of the expression of multiple genes involved in insulin sensitivity and lipogenesis in the EAT.

Source: PubMed

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19937569