The anti-diabetic effects of ethanol extract from two variants of Artemisia princeps Pampanini in C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice

The anti-diabetic effects of two variants of Artemisia princeps Pampanini, sajabalssuk (SB) and sajuarissuk (SS), were investigated in type 2 diabetic animal using their ethanol extracts. Male C57BL/KsJ-db/db (db/db) mice were divided into control, SB ethanol extract (SBE), SS ethanol extract (SSE), or rosiglitazone (RG) groups and their age-matched littermates (db/+) were used. Supplementation of the SBE (0.171 g/100 g diet), SSE (0.154 g/100 g diet), and RG (0.005 g/100 g diet) improved glucose and insulin tolerance and significantly lowered blood glycosylated hemoglobin levels, as compared to the control group. Plasma insulin, C-peptide and glucagon levels in db/db mice were higher in the db/+ mice, however these values were significantly lowered by SBE, SSE or RG-supplement. Hepatic GK activity was significantly lower in the db/db mice than in the db/+ mice, while hepatic G6Pase activity was vice versa. Supplementation of SBE, SSE and RG reversed these hepatic glucose-regulating enzyme activities. In addition, SBE and SSE markedly increased the hepatic glycogen content and muscle ratio as compared to the control group, but they did not alter the food intake, body weight and plasma leptin level. The RG group, however, showed a significant increase in the food intake, body weight and plasma leptin. These results suggest that SBE and SSE exert an anti-diabetic effect in type 2 diabetic mice.