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Planta Med 2024; 90(05): 388-396
DOI: 10.1055/a-2281-0988
Biological and Pharmacological Activity
Original Papers

Abrus precatorius Leaf Extract Stimulates Insulin-mediated Muscle Glucose Uptake: In vitro Studies and Phytochemical Analysis

Chintha Lankatillake 
1   School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, Discipline of Laboratory Medicine, STEM College, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia
,
Tien Huynh 
2   School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia
,
Daniel A Dias 
3   ARC Training Centre for Hyphenated Analytical Separation Technologies (HyTECH), CASS Food Research Centre, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia
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Abstract

Diabetes mellitus, linked with insulin resistance and hyperglycaemia, is a leading cause of mortality. Glucose uptake through glucose transporter type 4, especially in skeletal muscle, is crucial for maintaining euglycaemia and is a key pathway targeted by antidiabetic medication. Abrus precatorius is a medicinal plant with demonstrated antihyperglycaemic activity in animal models, but its mechanisms are unclear.

This study evaluated the effect of a 50% ethanolic (v/v) A. precatorius leaf extract on (1) insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and (2) related gene expression in differentiated C2C12 myotubes using rosiglitazone as a positive control, and (3) generated a comprehensive phytochemical profile of A. precatorius leaf extract using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry to elucidate its antidiabetic compounds.

A. precatorius leaf extract significantly increased insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, and insulin receptor substrate 1 and Akt substrate of 160 kDa gene expression; however, it had no effect on glucose transporter type 4 gene expression. At 250 µg/mL A. precatorius leaf extract, the increase in glucose uptake was significantly higher than 1 µM rosiglitazone. Fifty-five phytochemicals (primarily polyphenols, triterpenoids, saponins, and alkaloids) were putatively identified, including 24 that have not previously been reported from A. precatorius leaves. Abrusin, precatorin I, glycyrrhizin, hemiphloin, isohemiphloin, hispidulin 4′-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, homoplantaginin, and cirsimaritin were putatively identified as known major compounds previously reported from A. precatorius leaf extract.

A. precatorius leaves contain antidiabetic phytochemicals and enhance insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in myotubes via the protein kinase B/phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway by regulating insulin receptor substrate 1 and Akt substrate of 160 kDa gene expression. Therefore, A. precatorius leaves may improve skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity and hyperglycaemia. Additionally, it is a valuable source of bioactive phytochemicals with potential therapeutic use for diabetes.

Keywords

Abrus precatorius - Fabaceae - diabetes mellitus - LC-HRMS - hyperglycaemia - GLUT4

Supporting Information

    Determination of noncytotoxic concentrations of APLE, gene expression studies (RNA isolation, primers), and HR LC-MS analysis (instrumentation and operating conditions, data processing, dereplication, putative identification of metabolites) as well as cell viability of C2C12 myotubes treated with 1 – 500 µg/mL APLE over 24 h, phytochemicals putatively identified from APLE (in increasing order of measured neutral mass) with details of the retention time, mass, putative identity, and phytochemical class of metabolites detected from APLE, previously reported antidiabetic properties of phytochemicals putatively identified from APLE, a summary of studies demonstrating the effect of APLE phytochemicals on muscle glucose uptake, and additional references supporting the methodology, putative identity of phytochemicals, and their bioactivity are available as Supporting Information.

  • Supporting Information


Publication History

Received: 24 September 2023

Accepted after revision: 26 February 2024

Article published online:
15 March 2024

© 2024. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
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