Unanswered Cistanche as GDA

[GreenMachineX]

According to this study, Cistanche can help diabetes and lower postprandial glucose levels. But, it doesn’t increase glycogen levels, neither hepatic nor muscle. So where is the glucose going?

Anti-hyperglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of Cistanche tubulosa in type 2 diabetic db/db mice.
Xiong WT, et al. J Ethnopharmacol. 2013.
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Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The dried succulent stem of Cistanche tubulosa (Schenk) R. Wight is one component of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions for diabetes. However, there have been no modern scientific reports to confirm this traditional claim for the Cistanche species until now. Thus, we investigated the effects of Cistanche tubulosa on glucose homeostasis and serum lipids in male BKS.Cg-Dock7(m) +/+ Lepr(db)/J (db/db) mice, a model of type 2 diabetes.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The verbascoside and echinacoside contents of Cistanche tubulosa powder were evaluated using HPLC. The total phenolic content, polysaccharide content and antioxidant activity of Cistanche tubulosa powder were also evaluated. Then, different doses of Cistanche tubulosa (equivalent to 120.9, 72.6 or 24.2mg verbascoside/kg) were administered orally once daily for 45 days to male db/db mice. Age matched db/+ mice were used as normal controls. Body weight, fasting blood glucose, postprandial blood glucose and insulin tolerance test were measured during the experiment. At the time of sacrifice, blood was collected for measurement of insulin level, the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-c, LDL-c and VLDL-c levels; liver and muscle were harvested for measurement of glycogen levels.
RESULTS: Cistanche tubulosa significantly suppressed the elevated fasting blood glucose and postprandial blood glucose levels, improved insulin resistance and dyslipidemia, and suppressed body weight loss in db/db mice. However, Cistanche tubulosa did not significantly affect serum insulin levels or hepatic and muscle glycogen levels.
CONCLUSION: This study provides scientific evidence for the traditional use of Cistanche tubulosa to treat diabetes, suggesting that Cistanche tubulosa has the potential for development into a functional food ingredient or drug to prevent hyperglycemia and treat hyperlipidemia.

 

[Jeremyk1]

I have a couple ideas. In the results, it says that treatment suppressed body weight loss. Could have shuttled everything to fat. That might explain why lipids went down as well. It’s also possible it just decreased the digestion of carbohydrate and reduced the glycemic load of meals. Not sure, but I guess either is possible.

 

[GreenMachineX]

I have a couple ideas. In the results, it says that treatment suppressed body weight loss. Could have shuttled everything to fat. That might explain why lipids went down as well. It’s also possible it just decreased the digestion of carbohydrate and reduced the glycemic load of meals. Not sure, but I guess either is possible.

Yeah, I thought the same thing of shuttling everything to fat but was hoping for something else. Your other idea is possible too though.

But why would these be positive outcomes if it suppressed body weight loss in diabetic mice? What am I missing?

 

[GreenMachineX]

This one suggests mitochondrial uncoupling as the cause of preventing weight gain on a high fat diet. So there’s something to this.

Abstract
A semi-purified fraction isolated from Cistanches Herba (HCF1), was previously found to induce mitochondrial uncoupling in H9c2 cells and in rat hearts. We therefore hypothesized that HCF1 would produce weight loss effect against a high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. To test this hypothesis, a mouse model of HFD-induced obesity was established and the effects of HCF1 on normal diet (ND)-fed and HFD-fed mice were examined. In the study, long term HCF1 treatment produced weight reduction effect against HFD-induced obesity in male and female mice. The HCF1-induced weight loss was associated with improved insulin sensitivity in HFD-fed animals. To understand the action mechanism underlying the weight reduction effect afforded by HCF1, its effects on mitochondrial uncoupling was examined. A comparative study with cholestyramine (CT), a bile acid sequestrant, was also conducted. The findings demonstrated that HCF1-induced weight loss was likely mediated by the increase in energy consumption, probably via the induction of mitochondrial uncoupling in mouse skeletal muscle. Thus, our findings suggest the potential use of HCF1 to prevent obesity and the associated health consequences such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome.

Cistanches Herba reduces the weight gain in high fat diet-induced obese mice possibly through mitochondrial uncoupling

A semi-purified fraction isolated from Cistanches Herba (HCF1), was previously found to induce mitochondrial uncoupling in H9c2 cells and in rat heart…

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