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Triterpenoids Isolated from <i>Ziziphus jujuba</i> Enhance Glucose Uptake Activity in Skeletal Muscle Cells

2017; Center for Academic Publications Japan; Volume: 63; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3177/jnsv.63.193

1881-7742

Kyuichi Kawabata, Kenji Kitamura, Kazuhiro Irie, Shoma NARUSE, Tomohiro Matsuura, Tomoyuki UEMAE, Shu Taira, Hajime Ohigashi, Shigeru Murakami, Masakazu Takahashi, Yoko KAIDO, Bunsei Kawakami,

Natural product bioactivities and synthesis

Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.), a traditional folk medicine and functional food in China and South Korea, is known for its beneficial properties, which include anti-cancer, anti-oxidative, and anti-obesity effects. To assess the anti-hyperglycemic effect of jujube in this study, we investigated the glucose uptake-promoting activity of jujube in rat L6 myotubes. After determining that the jujube extract induces muscle glucose uptake, we identified the following active compounds by bioassay-guided fractionation: betulonic acid, betulinic acid, and oleanonic acid. Ursonic acid, known to be present in jujube, was semi-synthesized from ursolic acid and also observed to enhance glucose uptake. These four triterpenic acids induced glucose uptake in a glucose transporter 4-dependent manner. Comparison experiments of jujube fruits from three countries, namely, China, South Korea, and Japan, revealed that Japanese jujube has a higher content of active triterpenoids and is the most potent enhancer of glucose uptake.