Rooibos, an indigenous South African plant ingested as herbal tea, is well known for its antioxidant effects. This study investigated aspalathin (CHO), a dihydrochalcone unique to rooibos, for hypoglycemic effects in the context of age- and obesity-induced insulin resistance and the mechanisms involved. Male Wistar rats were allocated into three groups: 16 - 30 weeks feeding with either standard rat chow or a high-caloric diet, or 6 - 10 weeks feeding with standard rat chow. Ventricular cardiomyocytes were isolated by collagenase perfusion digestion, and glucose uptake was determined by 2-[H]-deoxyglucose accumulation. Viability was tested by trypan blue exclusion or propidium iodide staining. The high-caloric diet significantly increased body weight gain (508.5 ± 50.0 vs. 417.3 ± 40.0 g), visceral adiposity (42.30 ± 10.1 vs. 21.75 ± 7.0 g), and fasting blood glucose (5.7 ± 0.4 vs. 4.7 ± 0.1 mM). Aspalathin (10 µM for 90 min) induced 2-[H]-deoxyglucose uptake in young cardiomyocytes (37.2 ± 13.9 vs. 25.7 ± 2.5 pmol 2-[H]-deoxyglucose/mg protein) and enhanced insulin-mediated 2-[H]-deoxyglucose uptake in control cells (32.4 ± 6.4 vs. 23.5 ± 10.0 pmol 2-[H]-deoxyglucose/mg protein), but failed to induce 2-[H]-deoxyglucose uptake in high-caloric diet cells. Aspalathin induced glucose uptake in insulin-sensitive cardiomyocytes from young and aged rats, but not in high-caloric diet animals and enhanced the actions of insulin through a PI3K-dependent mechanism, resulting in an additive response.
Diabetic patients develop ischemic heart disease and strokes more readily. Following an ischemic event, restoration of blood flow increases oxidative stress resulting in myocardial damage, termed ischemia/reperfusion injury. Aspalathus linearis (rooibos), rich in the antioxidant phenolic compound aspalathin, has been implicated as cardioprotective against ischemia/reperfusion injury with undefined mechanism in control rats. Primarily, the therapeutic potential of Afriplex green rooibos extract to prevent ischemia/reperfusion injury in cardiovascular disease-compromised rats was investigated. Additionally, Afriplex Green rooibos extractʼs cardioprotective signaling on metabolic markers and stress markers was determined using western blotting. Three hundred male Wistar rats received either 16-wk standard diet or high-caloric diet. During the final 6 wk, half received 60 mg/kg/day Afriplex green rooibos extract, containing 12.48% aspalathin. High-caloric diet increased body weight, body fat, fasting serum triglycerides, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance – indicative of prediabetes. High-caloric diet rats had increased heart mass, infarct size, and decreased heart function. Afriplex green rooibos extract treatment for 6 wk lowered pre-ischemic heart rate, reduced infarct size, and improved heart function pre- and post-ischemia, without significantly affecting biometric parameters. Stabilized high-caloric diet hearts had decreased insulin independence via adenosine monophosphate activated kinase and increased inflammation (p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase), whereas Afriplex green rooibos extract treatment decreased insulin dependence (protein kinase B) and conferred anti-inflammatory effect. After 20 min ischemia, high-caloric diet hearts had upregulated ataxia–telangiectasia mutated kinase decreased insulin independence, and downregulated insulin dependence and glycogen synthase kinase 3 β inhibition. In contrast, Afriplex green rooibos extract supplementation downregulated insulin independence and inhibited extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2. During reperfusion, all protective signaling was decreased in high-caloric diet, while Afriplex green rooibos extract supplementation reduced oxidative stress (c-Jun N-terminal kinases 1 and 2) and inflammation. Taken together, Afriplex green rooibos extract supplementation for 6 wk preconditioned cardiovascular disease-compromised rat hearts against ischemia/reperfusion injury by lowering inflammation, oxidative stress, and heart rate.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.