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Ethnopharmacological relevance The radix of Acorus calamus L. (AC) is widely used in diabetes therapies in traditional folk medicine from America and Indonesia, and we have previously reported that the ethyl acetate fraction of AC (ACE) acts as an antidiabetic through insulin sensitizing, insulin releasing and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activities. The present study is designed to investigate the effects and molecular mechanisms of ACE on glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) expression and secretion related to its hypoglycemic effects. Materials and methods The hypoglycemic effect of ACE (100 mg/kg, i.g.) was confirmed by testing blood glucose levels or via oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in streptozotocin (STZ) induced hyperglycemic mice, db/db diabetic mice and diet-induced obese (DIO) mice. Plasma insulin, GLP-1 levels and intestinal GLP-1 related gene expression were determined in STZ-induced and db/db diabetic mice. The in vitro effects of ACE (12.5 μg/ml) on the expression and secretion of GLP-1 were detected in NCI-H716 intestinal L-cells, and the correlation between ACE and molecules in the Wnt signaling pathway was further explored. Results ACE (100 mg/kg) significantly lowered fasting blood glucose in STZ-induced and db/db diabetic mice and improved the OGTT in DIO mice. Insulin releasing and islet protective effects, along with the increased secretion of GLP-1, were observed. The expression of proglucagon gene ( gcg ) and post-translational processing gene prohormone convertase 3 ( pc3 ) and the GLP-1 content in the culture medium of L-cells notably increased after the ACE treatment (12.5 μg/ml). At the same time, β-catenin nuclear translocation occurred, and its downstream protein cyclin D1 was activated, showing the involvement of Wnt signaling. Conclusions ACE might activate Wnt signaling to increase the gene expression of gcg and pc3 and exert incretin effects, including insulinotropic and islet protection, to lower blood glucose levels via elevated GLP-1 secretion either directly or indirectly.

Acorus calamus L. (AC), family Araceae, have been used in the Indian and Chinese systems of medicine for hundreds of years. The radix of AC is widely used in the therapy of diabetes in traditional folk medicine of America and Indonesia. Aim of the study To investigate the insulin sensitizing activity and antidiabetic effects of the ethyl acetate fraction of AC (ACE). Materials and methods Glucose consumption mediated by insulin was detected in L6 rat skeletal muscle cells. Diabetes and its complications related indexes were monitored after orally administrating to genetically obese diabetic C57BL/Ks db/db mice daily for 3 weeks. Results ACE (12.5 and 25 μg/ml) increased glucose consumption mediated by insulin in L6 cells (p

Ethnopharmacological relevance The radix of Acorus calamus L. (AC) is widely used in the therapy of diabetes in traditional folk medicine of America and Indonesia, and we previously reported the insulin sensitizing activity of the ethyl acetate fraction of AC (ACE). Aim of the study To investigate the insulin releasing and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity of ACE in vitro and in vivo . Materials and methods Insulin releasing and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory effects of different fractions from AC were detected in vitro using HIT-T15 cell line and alpha-glucosidase enzyme. Furthermore, effects of ACE orally on serum glucose were detected in fasted and glucose/amylum challenged normal mice. Results AC and ACE increased insulin secretion in HIT-T15 cells as gliclazide did. As in vivo results, ACE (400 and 800 mg/kg) significantly decreased fasting serum glucose, and suppressed the increase of blood glucose levels after 2 g/kg glucose loading in normal mice. In addition, ACE as a mixed-type inhibitor inhibited alpha-glucosidase activity in vitro with an IC 50 of 0.41 μg/ml, and 100 mg/kg of it clearly reduced the increase of blood glucose levels after 5 g/kg amylum loading in normal mice. Conclusions Apart from its insulin sensitizing effect, ACE may have hypoglycemic effects via mechanisms of insulin releasing and alpha-glucosidase inhibition, and thus improves postprandial hyperglycemia and cardiovascular complications.