Anti-diabetic effects of fermented Acanthopanax senticosus extracts on rats with streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetic mellitus

As a consequence of increased obesity prevalence, diabetes mellitus (DM) has become one of the most common diseases in humans. Acanthopanax senticosus is a species of small, woody shrub in the family Araliaceae and has been used as a medicinal plant. In a preliminary study, we found that extracts from A. senticosus fermented with Phellinus linteus (ASPL) had the most potent effects against diabetes as compared to other fermented or crude extracts. In the present investigation, the effects of ASPL on mice and rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes was evaluated. Type I DM was induced by intra-peritoneal injection of STZ that has direct toxic effect on pancreatic β cells in mice and rats. Seven days after injection, blood glucose level of the diabetic mice was significantly higher than those of the control animals (387.6 and 85.5 mg/dl, respectively). ASPL was orally administered for 14 days in STZ-induced diabetic mice. Daily administration of the extracts for 14 days significantly reduced blood glucose levels of the diabetic mice (213 mg/dl), whereas glucose levels of the untreated diabetic mice were unchanged (404 mg/dl). Moreover, serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALT), aspartate aminotrasferase (AST), total cholesterol, and low- density lipoprotein (LDL) were significantly reduced in ASPL-treated mice comparing to the diabetic control. Oral administration with ASPL also reduced weight of thrombi in the arteriovenous shunt model of rat. In conclusion, our data suggest that fermented A. senticosus extract can ameliorate diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and thrombogenesis.    Key words: Type 1 diabetes mellitus, Acanthopanax senticosus, fermentation, thrombosis, oxidative stress.