Degradation polysaccharide of Euryale ferox Salisb. Seeds significantly enhanced the hypoglycemic efficiency of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Euryale ferox Salisb. seeds (ES) are rich in biologically active polysaccharides, and degradation treatment can enhance the hypoglycemic activities of polysaccharides. However, regulation mechanism of ES polysaccharide (ESP) and its degradation polysaccharide on blood glucose in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is still unclear. In this study, a novel degraded polysaccharide (D-ESP) was prepared by HO-ultrasound treatment of ESP. It was found that HO-ultrasound treatment did not disrupt sugar unit structure of D-ESP. Both ESP and D-ESP had α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and good gastrointestinal digestive stability, and D-ESP had better hypoglycemic activity than ESP. D-ESP could restore the glucose metabolism of insulin-resistant (IR) HepG2 cells to 83.22 % of normal level, and reduce the blood glucose of T2DM mice by 46.51 %. D-ESP was found to regulate blood glucose similarly to that of drug metformin. D-ESP could reduce IR levels in T2DM mice via two ways. One was to improve inflammatory response by promoting interleukin 2 release; the other was to promote high-density lipoprotein cholesterol synthesis and inhibition triglyceride production by restoring liver cell damage, thus improving glucose metabolism disorders. Consequently, D-ESP is a promising ingredient in anti-diabetes. This study can provide theoretical basis for the development of hypoglycemic products for T2DM.