Hypolipidaemic and hypoglycaemic properties of pumpkin polysaccharides.

Both hyperglycaemia and hyperlipidaemia are major risk factors for the development of coronary artery diseases and atherosclerosis, and therefore therapeutic drugs must be developed for treatment of them. Pumpkin polysaccharides (PPs) are biomacromolecules with varying bioactivities. In this study, PPs were extracted with commercial thermostable α-amylase, and their hypolipidaemic and hypoglycaemic activities were evaluated. Twenty four KKAy mice were divided into two groups: control was fed with high-fat diet; while the PP group was fed with high-fat diet with the addition of PPs at the same time, for 6 weeks. PP diet reduced body weight gain, the levels of plasma insulin, serum triglyceride, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and blasting blood glucose in mice and improved the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and liver glycogen. Results indicate that PPs had high hypolipidaemic and hypoglycaemic activities and could be used as potential drugs for treatment of hyperlipidaemia and hyperglycaemia.