A new orally active antidiabetic vanadyl complex--bis(alpha-furancarboxylato)oxovanadium(IV).

Bis(alpha-furancarboxylato)oxovanadium(IV)--a new orally active antidiabetic vanadyl complex has been synthesized, characterized, and tested for bioactivity as insulin-enhancing agents. The complex was administered intragastrically to both normal and STZ-diabetic rats for 4 weeks. The results show that the complex at a dose of 10.0 and 20.0 mg V kg(-1), could significantly lower the blood glucose level rats and ameliorated impaired glucose tolerance in STZ-diabetic, but not in normal rats. It was suggested that the complex exerted an antidiabetic effect in STZ-diabetic rats, which maybe was related to increasing the sensitivity to insulin.