Erukainure Ochuko L, Chukwuma Chika I
Laser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Centre for Quality of Health and Living (CQHL), Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
Front Nutr. 2025 Jul 9;12:1607386. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1607386. eCollection 2025.
African walnut () oil (AWO) has been employed in the management of glucose dysmetabolic-mediated ailments, with emerging evidence suggesting that its modulatory effects on erythrocyte glucose dysmetabolism may mitigate dysfunctions implicated in the pathophysiology of metabolic diseases.
The present study investigated the effect of AWO on glucose uptake and its effect on glucose metabolism, purinergic and antioxidant activities and surface morphology in isolated rats' erythrocytes .
Isolated erythrocytes were incubated with AWO (30-240 μg/mL) and glucose (11.1 mM) for 2 h at 37°C. Negative control consisted of erythrocytes incubated with glucose only, while normal control consisted of erythrocytes not incubated with AWO and/or glucose. Metformin served as the standard hypoglycemic drug.
Incubation with AWO led to significant increase in erythrocyte glucose uptake, with concomitant suppression in superoxide dismutase, adenosine triphosphatase, ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase, glucose 6-phosphatse and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activities and iron level, while concomitantly enhancing glutathione and magnesium levels. Furthermore, the surface morphology of erythrocytes was improved following incubation with AWO. Molecular docking analysis revealed strong molecular interactions between AWO's phytoconstituents (linolenic acid and linoleic acid) and hemoglobin. Molecular dynamics simulation further revealed strong protein-ligand relationships between hemoglobin the oil's constituents as revealed by root mean square deviation, root mean square fluctuation, solvent accessible surface area, and radius of gyration values, with hydrogen, hydrophobic, ionic bonds and water bridges contributing to the stability of the protein-ligand complex. These results suggest the ability of AWO to improve erythrocyte glucose metabolism and morphology, mitigate oxidative stress, and may be of translational relevance in managing erythrocytes' dysfunction in metabolic diseases.
非洲核桃（）油（AWO）已被用于治疗葡萄糖代谢异常介导的疾病，新出现的证据表明，其对红细胞葡萄糖代谢异常的调节作用可能减轻代谢疾病病理生理学中涉及的功能障碍。
本研究调查了AWO对分离的大鼠红细胞葡萄糖摄取的影响及其对葡萄糖代谢、嘌呤能和抗氧化活性以及表面形态的影响。
将分离的红细胞与AWO（30 - 240μg/mL）和葡萄糖（11.1mM）在37°C下孵育2小时。阴性对照为仅与葡萄糖孵育的红细胞，而正常对照为由未与AWO和/或葡萄糖孵育的红细胞组成。二甲双胍作为标准降糖药物。
与AWO孵育导致红细胞葡萄糖摄取显著增加，同时超氧化物歧化酶、三磷酸腺苷酶、胞外核苷三磷酸二磷酸水解酶、葡萄糖6 - 磷酸酶和果糖 - 1,6 - 二磷酸酶活性以及铁水平受到抑制，而谷胱甘肽和镁水平同时升高。此外，与AWO孵育后红细胞的表面形态得到改善。分子对接分析揭示了AWO的植物成分（亚麻酸和亚油酸）与血红蛋白之间有强烈的分子相互作用。分子动力学模拟进一步揭示了血红蛋白与油成分之间有强烈的蛋白质 - 配体关系，这通过均方根偏差、均方根波动、溶剂可及表面积和回转半径值得以体现，其中氢键、疏水键、离子键和水桥有助于蛋白质 - 配体复合物的稳定性。这些结果表明AWO有能力改善红细胞葡萄糖代谢和形态，减轻氧化应激，并且在管理代谢疾病中红细胞功能障碍方面可能具有转化相关性。
