[Effects of insulin on maltase and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activities of serum and kidney in experimental diabetic rats]

Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) modulates activities of intestinal and renal disaccharidases in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

During diabetes, structural and functional changes in the alimentary tract are known to take place resulting in increased absorption of intestinal glucose and alterations in the activities of brush border disaccharidases. Similar observations are also reported in the renal cortex. In the present investigation, we examined the effect of feeding bitter gourd fruit devoid of seeds on activities of intestinal and renal disaccharidases, viz., maltase, sucrase, and lactase in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Normal and diabetic rats were fed either with basal diet or a diet containing 10% bitter gourd powder. Specific activities of intestinal disaccharidases were significantly increased during diabetes, and supplementing bitter gourd in the diet clearly indicated amelioration in the activities of maltase and lactase during diabetes. However, a significant change was not observed with sucrase activity by feeding of bitter gourd. During diabetes, renal disaccharidase activities were significantly lower than those in the control rats. Bitter gourd supplementation was beneficial in alleviating the reduction in maltase activity during diabetes. However, not much change in the activities of sucrase and lactase was observed upon feeding. This positive influence of feeding bitter gourd on intestinal and renal disaccharidases clearly indicates their beneficial role in the management of diabetes, thus making diabetic animals more tolerant to hyperglycemia.

Modulatory effect of fenugreek seed mucilage and spent turmeric on intestinal and renal disaccharidases in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats

To elucidate the effect of feeding fenugreek seed mucilage and spent turmeric (10%) on disaccharidases activities, the specific activities of intestinal and renal disaccharidases viz., sucrase, maltase and lactase were measured in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Specific activities of intestinal disaccharidases were increased significantly during diabetes and amelioration of these activities during diabetes was clearly visible by supplementing fenugreek seed mucilage and spent turmeric in the diet. However during diabetes renal disaccharidases activities were significantly lower than those in the control rats. Fenugreek seed mucilage and spent turmeric supplementations were beneficial in alleviating the reduction in maltase activity during diabetes, however not much change in the activities of sucrase and lactase was observed upon feeding. This positive influence of feeding fenugreek seed mucilage and spent turmeric on intestinal and renal disaccharidases clearly indicates their beneficial role in the management of diabetes.

Quercetin alleviates activities of intestinal and renal disaccharidases in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Specific activities of both intestinal and renal dissacharidases, such as sucrase, maltase, and lactase, were altered in diabetic rats. Our study was focused to evaluate the effect of feeding quercetin - a bioflavanoid on intestinal and renal dissacharidases in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The rats were fed with 0.1% quercetin in diet. A reduction in intestinal maltase and sucrase, activities in quercetin-fed diabetic rats was observed in contrast to the increased activities in the starch-fed diabetic rats. A significant amelioration in renal dissacharidase activities in quercetin-fed diabetic rats was observed when compared to decreased activity in starch-fed diabetic rats.