Effects of combination of Caiapo with other plant-derived substance on anti-diabetic efficacy in KK-Ay mice.

B. Ludvik et al., have recently shown the effect of Caiapo (Ipomoea batatas L.) on reducing fasting blood glucose and insulin resistance in type-2 diabetic patients. It, however, was required 2-4 weeks after the single administration of Caiapo. The present study aimed to determine if the combination therapy of Caiapo with a mulberry leaf powder, which inhibits alpha-glucosidase, or with a loquat leaf extract, which shows an insulin-like effect, could make it possible to enhance the antidiabetic activities of Caiapo, and to shorten the time necessary for the inhibition of increasing blood glucose levels. A mixture of the pulverized tuber of Caiapo (357 mg/kg) and the mulberry leaf powder (143 mg/kg), or a mixture of the pulverized skin of Caiapo (194 mg/kg) and the powdered loquat leaf extract (6 mg/kg) was orally administered to 6 weeks-old male KK-Ay mice for 28 days and the glucose loading test was conducted every 7 days. In the glucose loading test after one week feeding, a reduction in blood glucose concentration after 60 minutes of the administration of glucose was observed in both mixture groups against the control group (p < 0.05) in the case of Caiapo only, similar delayed effects were seen in 2-3 weeks after feeding.