Antidiabetic activity of Taxus cuspidata polysaccharides in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

In present study, crude polysaccharides (TCPs) were obtained by hot water extraction and ethanol precipitation from the Taxus cuspidata. With a purpose of finding valuable and economical drug for diabetes, TCPs was administered orally at three doses [50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight (b.w.)] to the diabetic mice induced by streptozotocin (STZ). The body weight, fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting serum insulin (FINS), lipid peroxidation and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, as well as glucose tolerance were evaluated in normal and STZ-induced diabetic mice. TCPs could dose-dependently significantly increase the body weight of diabetic mice, and reverse the decrease of SOD and the increase of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in kidney and liver of diabetic mice as compared to those in control group. Meanwhile, the level of FBG markedly decreased in diabetic mice administrated with TCPs, followed by the enhancement of FINS level especially at the higher dose. Furthermore, glibenclamide and TCPs significantly suppressed the rise in blood glucose after 30 min in the acute glucose tolerance test. These results indicated that TCPs could be developed to a potential anti-diabetic drug in the future.