The herbal extract ALS-L1023 from Melissa officinalis reduces weight gain, elevated glucose levels and β-cell loss in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty rats

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Title
The herbal extract ALS-L1023 from Melissa officinalis reduces weight gain, elevated glucose levels and β-cell loss in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty rats
Author(s)
Y Shin; D Lee; Jiwon Ahn; M Lee; S S Shin; M Yoon
Bibliographic Citation
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, vol. 264, pp. 113360-113360
Publication Year
2021
Abstract
Ethnopharmacological relevance Melissa officinalis L. (Labiatae; lemon balm) is a traditional medicinal plant with hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects; however, how it imparts its beneficial effects remains unclear. We thus hypothesized that the herbal extract ALS-L1023, isolated from Melissa officinalis, inhibits obesity and diabetes, and tested our hypothesis using Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rats, which are an established animal model of type 2 diabetes. Materials and methods In this study, 28-week-old OLETF rats were fed a high-fat diet for 4 weeks to induce a marked impairment of the insulin response and were treated with or without ALS-L1023. Subsequently, the variables and determinants of glucose metabolism and pancreatic function were assessed via blood analysis, histology, immunohistochemistry, and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results The administration of ALS-L1023 resulted in a weight reduction without changes in food intake. It also markedly inhibited hyperglycemia and hypoinsulinemia, and restored β-cell mass that was severely impaired in OLETF rats. There was a decrease in lipid accumulation in the liver and skeletal muscle of the obese rats after treatment with ALS-L1023. Concomitantly, there was an increase in the expression levels of fatty acid-oxidizing enzymes (AMPKα2, ACOX, MCAD, and VLCAD) in the liver and skeletal muscle after ALS-L1023 treatment. Furthermore, ALS-L1023 attenuated the pancreatic inflammation including the infiltration of CD68-positive macrophages and mast cells, in addition to attenuating the expression of inflammatory factors (IL-6 and CD68). Conclusions These results suggest that treatment with ALS-L1023 may reduce weight gain, elevated glucose levels, and β-cell loss, by changing the expression of fatty acid-oxidizing enzymes in the liver and skeletal muscle, including inflammatory factors in the pancreas. These findings indicate that ALS-L1023 may be an effective therapeutic strategy to treat human obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Keyword
Melissa officinalisLemon balmObesityDiabetesOLETF ratEctopic lipidPancreatic inflammation
ISSN
0378-8741
Publisher
Elsevier
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2020.113360
Type
Article
Appears in Collections:
Division of Research on National Challenges > Stem Cell Convergenece Research Center > 1. Journal Articles
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