Pharmacologically active chemical composite of Musa balbisiana ameliorates oxidative stress, mitochondrial cellular respiration, and thereby metabolic dysfunction

Nutritional Composition and Pharmacological Activity of Musa balbisiana Colla Seed: An Insight into Phytochemical and Cellular Bioenergetic Profiling

Musa balbisiana Colla belongs to the family Musaceae which is well-known for its nutritional and pharmacological properties. Here, we have analysed the phytochemical content and evaluated the nutritional, antioxidant, anti-glycation, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase inhibition potential. Moreover, for the first time, we have studied the bioenergetic profiles of the bioactive fractions of M. balbisiana seeds extract against oxidative stress-related mitochondrial and cellular dysfunction using XFe24 extracellular flux analyzer. M. balbisiana seeds have high nutritional values with significant levels of carbohydrates, starch, protein, and minerals (Ca, Na, Mg, Cu, Fe, and Zn). Bioactivity-guided fractionation of the methanolic extract of M. balbisiana seeds revealed that the ethyl acetate fraction (EAF) showed the highest antioxidant, anti-glycation, and phytochemical content as compared to other fractions. Moreover, the EAF showed a lower α-amylase inhibition and a higher α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Most importantly, our GC-MS analyses of EAF revealed the presence of unique and previously unreported 14 phytochemical compounds. A strong correlation between the biological activities and total phenolic/tannin content was observed. In addition, the bioactive fraction of M. balbisiana seeds (EAF) improved the bioenergetic profiles of free fatty acid-induced oxidative stress with a concomitant increase in ATP production, and respiratory and glycolytic capacity. Altogether, our findings suggest that M. balbisiana seeds can be used as a natural supplement to boost antioxidant levels and combat oxidative stress and non-enzymatic glycation.

Chemical composite of indigenous whole grain scented joha rice varietal prevents type 2 diabetes in rats through ameliorating insulin sensitization by the IRS-1/AKT/PI3K signalling cascade

Preventive measures to lower the prevalence of type-2 diabetes development using dietary phytochemicals are most realistic. A phytochemical composite derived from whole grain scented joha rice (PCKJ), which is indigenous to the North-eastern Region, India, was investigated to understand its preventive efficacy in rats in which type 2 diabetes was induced using a high-fat high-fructose (HFHF) diet and a low dose of streptozotocin, and the findings were correlated with those in L6-myotubes. Studies on cultured L6 myotubes revealed that treatment with PCKJ facilitated glucose uptake and GLUT-4 translocation to the plasma membrane, as evidenced by confocal microscopy and/or cell fractionation studies. Furthermore, the FFA-induced L6 myotubes were identified as having elevated levels of PI3K, p-AKT (Ser473) and GLUT-4, which returned to the basal level upon exposure to PCKJ. The administration of PCKJ (100 mg per kg body weight, oral gavage, 24 weeks) to rats significantly reduced their blood glucose levels along with common lipid and liver biomarkers (LDL, triglycerides, cholesterol, ALT, and AST) compared to the control group. Moreover, immunoblotting analysis showed that upon PCKJ treatment, PI3K, p-AKT and GLUT-4 levels are upregulated in the skeletal tissue of HFHF-fed rats, similar to the in vitro model. The alteration in the levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-10 and IFN-γ in diabetic rats returned to normal levels upon exposure to PCKJ. Histological analysis of vital tissues further strengthens the findings of the preventive value of PCKJ against the development of insulin resistance. In conclusion, this study showed the prophylactic effect of PCKJ as a potent chemical composite, which can be used to develop functional foods (nutraceuticals) for ameliorating type-2 diabetes by improving insulin sensitization and thereby glucose metabolism.