Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effect of chitosan in normal and neonatal streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

The hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effect of chitosan was investigated in normal and neonatal streptozotocin-induced diabetic (NSZ) mice, one of the animal models of lean type non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) with hypoinsulinaemia. Chitosan (5% food admixture) reduced the blood glucose (P < 0.01), cholesterol (P < 0.01) and triglyceride (P < 0.01) of normal mice after 4 weeks, and also significantly lowered the blood glucose (P < 0.05) and cholesterol (P < 0.05) of NSZ mice under the same conditions. But these parameters of KK-Ay mice, which exhibit obese type NIDDM with hyperinsulinaemia, were not affected by chitosan administration. It is concluded that chitosan would be useful for the treatment of lean type NIDDM with hypoinsulinaemia.