Julvelin® Clinical Studies

Alpha-lipoic acid

Alpha-lipoic acid increases insulin sensitivity by activating AMPK in skeletal muscle. Lee WJ, Song KH, Koh EH, Won JC, Kim HS, Park HS, Kim MS, Kim SW, Lee KU, Park JY. Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Triglyceride accumulation in skeletal muscle contributes to insulin resistance in obesity. We recently showed that alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) reduces body weight and prevents the development of diabetes in diabetes-prone obese rats by reducing triglyceride accumulation in non-adipose tissues. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a major regulator of cellular energy metabolism. We examined whether ALA lowers triglyceride accumulation in skeletal muscle by activating AMPK. Alpha2-AMPK activity was decreased in obese rats compared to control rats. Administration of ALA to obese rats increased insulin-stimulated glucose disposal in whole body and in skeletal muscle. ALA also increased fatty acid oxidation and activated AMPK in skeletal muscle. Adenovirus-mediated administration of dominant negative AMPK into skeletal muscle prevented the ALA-induced increases in fatty acid oxidation and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. These results suggest that ALA-induced improvement of insulin sensitivity is mediated by activation of AMPK and reduced triglyceride accumulation in skeletal muscle.

Gymnema sylvestre:

Gymnema: Clinical Studies and Validation: In one controlled study, a standardized gymnema extract was given to 50 people with Type I diabetes, all receiving a dosage of 400 mg daily for periods ranging from 6 months to 2 and ½ years. 50 of the other people in the study continued to take the usual insulin therapy without the addition of gymnema. Among those who took the herbal extract, researchers found that insulin requirements fell off dramatically. In addition, there was a statistically significant decrease in the blood sugar markers that tests long-term blood sugar. Those in the control group showed no significant decreases in blood sugar or insulin requirements. In a second study, 55 people with Type II diabetes were given 400mg of gymnema extract every day for 18 to 20 months while they also continued to get their usual medication for hypoglycemia. Average blood sugar levels improved significantly in the group, along with another sugar related factor (glycosylated hemoglobin). Results also showed that there was an increase in pancreatic release of insulin among the people who got gymnema. People in the study were able to reduce their medication, and five were able to discontinue their drugs completely Gymnema has been scientifically noted by various clinical data. Its formula has been subjected to the modern controlled studies of clinical testing to prove its therapeutics in gently addressing your health and lifestyle and its quality is controlled by the most sophisticated chromatographic methods of analysis.

Diabetes In vivo studies have indicated that extracts of G. sylvestre containing gymnemic acid suppress the elevation of blood glucose levels by inhibiting glucose uptake in the intestine 9 and by increasing insulin release from the pancreas. 6 The major mode of action was proposed to be through increased permeability of the β-cell plasma membranes, leading to unregulated loss of insulin from the cells. The high saponin glycoside content of the extract is thought to be responsible for this action. In addition, a calcium 2+ -sensitive component is present; some degree of insulin release may occur through channel-independent calcium 2+ influx into the β-cells, perhaps through the pores formed by plasma membrane disruption. 6

Referances

4. Gymnema sylvestre . Altern Med Rev . 1999;4:46-47. Available at: http://www.thorne.com/pdf/journal/4-1/gymnema_monograph.pdf . Accessed May 12, 2004.

5. Porchezhian E, Dobriyal RM. An overview on the advances of Gymnema sylvestre : chemistry, pharmacology and patents. Pharmazie . 2003;58:5-12.

6. Persaud SJ, Al-Majed H, Raman A, Jones PM. Gymnema sylvestre stimulates insulin release in vitro by increased membrane permeability. J Endocrinol . 1999;163:207-212.

7. Fletcher JI, Dingley AJ, Smith R, Connor M, Christie MJ, King GF. High-resolution solution structure of gurmarin, a sweet-taste-suppressing plant polypeptide. Eur J Biochem . 1999;264:525-533.

8. Yoshikawa M, Murakami T, Kadoya M, et al. Medicinal foodstuffs. IX. The inhibitors of glucose absorption from the leaves of Gymnema sylvestre R.Br. (Asclepiadaceae): structures of gymnemosides a and b. Chem Pharm Bull . 1997;45:1671-1676.

9. Shimizu K, Iino A, Nakajima J, et al. Suppression of glucose absorption by some fractions extracted from Gymnema sylvestre leaves. J Vet Med Sci . 1997;59:245-251.

10. Rahman AU, Zaman K. J Ethnopharmacol . 1989;26:73.

11. Gupta SS, et al. Indian J Med Res . 1962;Sep 50:1. 1

2. Gupta SS, Seth CB. Experimental studies on pituitary diabetes. II. Comparison of blood sugar level in normal and anterior pituitary extract induced hyperglycemic rats treated with a few Ayurvedic remedies. Indian J Med Res . 1962;50:708-714.

13. Gupta SS, Variyar MC. Experimental studies on pituitary diabetes. IV. Effect of Gymnema sylvestre and Coccinia indica against the hyperglycaemic response of somatotropin and corticotropin hormones. Indian J Med Res . 1964;52:200-207.

14. Chattopadhyay RR. A comparative evaluation of some blood sugar lowering agents of plant origin. J Ethnopharmacol . 1999;67:367-372.

15. Gholap S, Kar A. Effects of Inula racemosa root and Gymnema sylvestre leaf extracts in the regulation of corticosteroid induced diabetes mellitus: involvement of thyroid hormones. Pharmazie . 2003;58:413-415.

16. Shanmugasundaram ERB, Rajeswari G, Baskaran K, Rajesh Kumar BR, Radha Shanmugasundaram K, Kizar Ahmath B. Use of Gymnema sylvestre leaf extract in the control of blood glucose in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. J Ethnopharmacol . 1990;30:281-294.

17. Baskaran K, Kizar Ahamath B, Radha Shanmugasundaram K, Shanmugasundaram ER. Antidiabetic effect of a leaf extract from Gymnema sylvestre in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients. J Ethnopharmacol . 1990;30:295-305.

18. Joffe DJ, Freed SH. The effect of extended release Gymnema sylvestre leaf extract alone or in combination with oral hypoglycemics or insulin regimens for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Diabetes in Control Newsletter . 2001;76.

19. Yeh GY, Eisenberg DM, Kaptchuk TJ, Phillips RS. Systematic review of herbs and dietary supplements for glycemic control in diabetes. Diabetes Care . 2003;26:1277-1294.

20. Nakamura Y, Tsumura Y, Tonogai Y, Shibata T. Fecal steroid excretion is increased in rats by oral administration of gymnemic acids contained in Gymnema sylvestre leaves. J Nutr . 1999;129:1214-1222.

21. Petlevski R, Hadzija M, Slijepcevic M, Juretic D. Effect of 'antidiabetis' herbal preparation on serum glucose and fructosamine in NOD mice. J Ethnopharmacol . 2001;75(2-3):181-184.