Discovery of the First in Class 9-N-Berberine Derivative as Hypoglycemic Agent with Extra-Strong Action

Berberine is well known for its ability to reduce the blood glucose level, but its high effective dose and poor bioavailability limits its use. In this work we synthesized a new derivative of berberine, 9-(hexylamino)-2,3-methylenedioxy-10-methoxyprotoberberine chloride (SHE-196), and analyzed the profile of its hypoglycemic effects. Biological tests have shown that the substance has a very pronounced hypoglycemic activity due to increased insulin sensitivity after single and multiple dosing. In obese type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) mice, it was characterized by improved glucose tolerance, decreased fasting insulin levels and sensitivity, decreased total body weight and interscapular fat mass, and increased interscapular brown fat activity. All these effects were also confirmed histologically, where a decrease in fatty degeneration of the liver, an improvement in the condition of the islets of Langerhans and a decrease in the size of fat droplets in brown adipose tissue were found. Our results indicate that 9-(hexylamino)-2,3-methylenedioxy-10-methoxyprotoberberine chloride could be the first in a new series of therapeutic agents for the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

Bornyl Derivatives of p-(Benzyloxy)Phenylpropionic Acid: In Vivo Evaluation of Antidiabetic Activity

A series of bornyl derivatives of p-(benzyloxy)phenylpropionic acid were prepared, and their hypoglycemic activities were examined by an oral glucose tolerance test in mice. The results of this test revealed two compounds, 1 and 3, that can reduce the blood level of glucose similarly to reference compound vildagliptin. Both compounds were tested in an experiment on mice with metabolic disorders: the C57BL/6^Ay strain. Along with hypoglycemic properties, the two compounds showed different abilities to correct lipid metabolism disorders. In silico prediction revealed that the studied substances are most likely bifunctional multitarget hypoglycemic compounds whose mechanism of action is based on a pronounced reduction in insulin resistance and a strong incretin-mimetic effect. The difference in the size of effects of these compounds on biochemical parameters of blood in the experiment on C57BL/6^Ay mice was in good agreement with the computational prediction of the priority ranking of biological targets for these compounds. These results indicate that bornyl derivatives of p-(benzyloxy)phenylpropionic acid have a good potential as new agents for diabetes mellitus treatment due to their hypoglycemic and lipid-normalizing properties.