Change of metformin concentrations in the liver as a pharmacological target site of metformin after long-term combined treatment with ginseng berry extract.

Metformin as an oral glucose-lowering drug is used to treat type 2 diabetic mellitus. Considering the relatively high incidence of cardiovascular complications and other metabolic diseases in diabetic mellitus patients, a combination of metformin plus herbal supplements is a preferrable way to improve the therapeutic outcomes of metformin. Ginseng berry, the fruit of Meyer, has investigated as a candidate in metformin combination mainly due to its anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-obesity, anti-hepatic steatosis and anti-inflammatory effects.

Multidrug and toxin extrusion protein 1-mediated interaction of metformin and Scutellariae radix in rats.

1. The metformin and Scutellariae radix extract (SB) combination has been previously reported to enhance anti-diabetic activity. Considering that organic cation transporters (OCTs) and multi-drug and toxin extrusion proteins (MATEs) in the liver and kidney are determinant factors on hepatic distribution and renal clearance of metformin, the effects of SB on OCT or MATE-mediated systemic exposure of metformin as well as on glucose tolerance and hypoglycemia were examined.

Mangosteen Extract Attenuates the Metabolic Disorders of High-Fat-Fed Mice by Activating AMPK.

This study investigated the effects of mangosteen on metabolic syndromes in high-fat (HF) diet-fed mice and the underlying mechanisms related to adipogenesis. Mangosteen-supplemented mice gained significantly less body weight, compared with the HF group. The levels were markedly elevated in HF mice for serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, glutamate pyruvate transaminase, glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and free fatty acid; whereas these levels were significantly lower in the 200 mg/kg of the mangosteen extract-treated group.

α-Mangostin Regulates Hepatic Steatosis and Obesity through SirT1-AMPK and PPARγ Pathways in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice.

Previous studies have shown that α-mangostin (α-MG) suppresses intracellular fat accumulation and stimulation of lipolysis in in vitro systems. Together with the relatively high distribution of α-MG in liver and fat, these observations made it possible to propose a plausible hypothesis that an α-MG supplement may regulate hepatic steatosis and obesity. An α-MG supplement (50 mg/kg) reduced the body weight gain (13.