The flavonoid-rich fraction of Coreopsis tinctoria promotes glucose tolerance regain through pancreatic function recovery in streptozotocin-induced glucose-intolerant rats

Teresa Dias, Maria Rosario Bronze, Peter J. Houghton, Helder Mota-Filipe, Alexandra Paulo

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

93 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Aim of the study: Infusions of Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt. flowering tops have been used traditionally in Portugal to control hyperglycaemia and a previous study revealed that daily administration of the infusion during a 3-week period promoted the recovery of glucose tolerance by a mechanism different from inhibition of glucose absorption and direct promotion of insulin secretion. We know report the study of the ethyl acetate fraction of Coreopsis tinctoria flowers infusion aiming to confirm flavonoids as bioactive metabolites. To give one step forward into the antihyperglycaemic mechanism of action of this traditionally used plant we also studied the activity of Coreopsis tinctoria flavonoids on the pancreatic function of glucose-intolerant rats. A standard antioxidant, Trolox, was also studied for comparative purposes as the antioxidant mechanism has been frequently purposed as one of the mechanisms mediating antihyperglycaemic effects of flavonoid-rich extracts. Material and methods: Thirteen compounds, mainly of flavanone and chalcone flavonoidal type, have been identified in this fraction by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS, and the major one (marein) quantified by HPLC-UV. The fraction (125 mg containing 20 mg of marein/kg b.w.) and Trolox (50 mg/kg b.w.) were administered daily by oral gavage to normal and STZ (40 mg/kg b.w.)-induced glucose-intolerant Wistar rats for 3 weeks. Blood glucose levels were measured weekly by Oral Glucose Tolerance Test. Pancreatic function was evaluated by plasma lipase of treated and non-treated glucose-tolerant and- intolerant rats after the 3-week treatment period. Results: After 2 weeks oral treatment with Coreopsis tinctoria AcOEt fraction the animals were no longer glucose-intolerant, an effect maintained over the remaining experimental period. Additionally, plasma lipase values of glucose-intolerant animals treated with the AcOEt fraction (13.5 +/- 0.84 U/L) showed a clear reduction when compared with the glucose-intolerant group (34.60 +/- 1.76 U/L: P
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)483 - 490
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Ethnopharmacology
Volume132
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 Nov 2010

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