Investigating the efficacy of bioconverted mulberry leaf against diabetes

A study published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine looked at the effects of bioconverted mulberry leaf extract against diabetes in cells and animals. This study was conducted by researchers from Chungnam National University in South Korea.

• Bioconversion is the process of producing active ingredients from natural products using microorganisms or enzymes.
• In this study, the researchers prepared bioconverted mulberry leaf extract using Viscozyme L, a multi-enzyme complex with a potent pectolytic activity and a wide range of carbohydrates.
• They treated insulin-sensitive cells, insulin-secreting pancreatic beta-cells, and obese diabetic mice with either bioconverted mulberry leaf extract or unaltered mulberry leaf extract for seven weeks.
• They induced obesity and diabetes in mice by giving them streptozotocin, nicotinamide, and a high-fat diet.
• The results showed that bioconverted mulberry leaf increased the glucose uptake of the insulin-sensitive cells and increased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in pancreatic beta-cells.
• Both bioconverted and unaltered mulberry leaf extracts decreased the fasting blood sugar levels of diabetic mice.
• In addition, bioconverted mulberry leaf extract-treated mice exhibited better glucose tolerance than mice treated with unaltered mulberry leaf extract.
• Moreover, the blood concentration of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in mice treated with bioconverted mulberry leaf extract was lower than that in the unaltered mulberry leaf extract-treated mice.
• Overall, treatment with bioconverted mulberry leaf extract yielded significant improvements in insulin resistance and insulin sensitivity.

The researchers concluded that bioconverted mulberry leaf extract is superior to unaltered extracts in terms of managing diabetes due to its high concentrations of trans-caffeic acid and syringaldehyde.

Find the full text of the study at this link.

Journal Reference:

Jung SH, Han JH, Park HS, Lee DH, Kim SK, Cho HS, Kang JS, Myung CS. EFFECTS OF UNALTERED AND BIOCONVERTED MULBERRY LEAF EXTRACTS ON CELLULAR GLUCOSE UPTAKE AND ANTIDIABETIC ACTION IN ANIMALS. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 06 March 2019; 19. DOI: 10.1186/s12906-019-2460-5