Saponins isolated from the root of Panax notoginseng showed significant anti-diabetic effects in KK-Ay mice.

Panax notoginseng, a well-known and commonly used traditional Chinese herb, has been used in China for six hundred years. Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) were extracted from the root of the plant. This is the first study on anti-hyperglycemic and anti-obese effects of PNS in genetic model mice. Additionally, the preventive effect on diabetic nephropathy was investigated. Animals received intraperitoneal injections of PNS 50 or 200 mg/kg daily. On day 12, 22 and 30, PNS-treated groups had significantly lower fasting blood glucose levels and smaller body weight incremental percentage. After a 12-day treatment, glucose tolerance of PNS groups were significantly improved; these indices in PNS-treated mice exhibited a dose-dependent improvement. Furthermore, on day 30, the serum insulin resistance index and triglyceride levels of PNS-treated groups decreased significantly, and the development of the mice glomerular lesions was prevented significantly. The results in this present paper indicate that PNS possesses anti-diabetes and anti-obese activities and may prove to be of clinical importance in improving the management of type 2 diabetes.