Molecular Weight Dependent Glucose Lowering Effect of Low Molecular Weight Chitosan Oligosaccharide (GO2KA1) on Postprandial Blood Glucose Level in SD Rats Model

Abstract This research investigated the effect of enzymatically digested low molecular weight (MW) chitosan oligosaccharide on type 2 diabetes prevention. Three different chitosan oligosaccharide samples with varying MW were evaluated in vitro for inhibition of rat small intestinal α-glucosidase and porcine pancreatic α-amylase (GO2KA1; \u3c1000 Da, GO2KA2; 1000–10,000 Da, GO2KA3; MW \u3e 10,000 Da). The in vitro results showed that all tested samples had similar rat α-glucosidase inhibitory and porcine α-amylase inhibitory activity. Based on these observations, we decided to further investigate the effect of all three samples at a dose of 0.1 g/kg, on reducing postprandial blood glucose levels in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat model after sucrose loading test. In the animal trial, all tested samples had postprandial blood glucose reduction effect, when compared to control, however GO2KA1 supplementation had the strongest effect. The glucose peak (Cmax) for GO2KA1 and control was 152 mg/dL and 193 mg/dL, respectively. The area under the blood glucose-time curve (AUC) for GO2KA1 and control was 262 h mg/dL and 305 h mg/dL, respectively. Furthermore, the time of peak plasma concentration of blood glucose (Tmax) for GO2KA1 was significantly delayed (0.9 h) compared to control (0.5 h). These results suggest that GO2KA1 could have a beneficial effect for blood glucose management relevant to diabetes prevention in normal and pre-diabetic individuals. The suggested mechanism of action is via inhibition of the carbohydrate hydrolysis enzyme α-glucosidase and since GO2KA1 (MW \u3c 1000 Da) had higher in vivo effect, we hypothesize that it is more readily absorbed and might exert further biological effect once it is absorbed in the blood stream, relevant to blood glucose management

Antiaging effects of bioactive molecules isolated from plants and fungi

Aging is influenced by many lifestyle choices that are under human control, including nutrition and exercise. The most effective known antiaging intervention consists of calorie restriction (CR), which increases lifespan in yeasts, worms, fruit flies, mice, and nonhuman primates. CR also improves healthspan by preventing the development of various aging-related diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and neurodegeneration. Many compounds isolated from plants and fungi prolong lifespan and prevent age-related diseases in model organisms. These plant and fungal compounds modulate the same cellular and physiological pathways as CR, including those involving insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1, mammalian target of rapamycin, and sirtuins. Modulation of these aging-related pathways results in the activation of various cellular processes such as autophagy, DNA repair, and neutralization of reactive oxygen species. Together, these cellular processes are believed to delay aging and prevent chronic diseases by improving bodily functions and stress resistance. We review here the mechanisms of action of plant and fungal molecules possessing antiaging properties and discuss the possibilities and challenges associated with the development of antiaging compounds isolated from natural products