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Anti-diabetic effects of Caulerpa lentillifera: stimulation of insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells and enhancement of glucose uptake in adipocytes
Identifier
016981
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Caulerpa lentillifera is one of the favored species of edible Caulerpa due to its soft and succulent texture. They are also known as sea grapes or green caviar. C. lentillifera is farmed in the Philippines, where it is locally called ar-arosep,lato,arosep or ar-arosip (as variant names), latok in the Malaysian state of Sabah, and in Okinawa where the plant is eaten fresh.
The pond cultivation of C. lentillifera has been very successful on Mactan Island, Cebu, in the central Philippines, with markets in Cebu and Manila. About 400 ha of ponds are under cultivation, producing 12–15 tonnes of fresh seaweed per hectare per year. C. lentillifera is also eaten in Okinawa, where it is known as umi-budō (海ぶどう?), meaning "sea grapes".
C. lentillifera is usually eaten raw with vinegar, as a snack or in a salad. In the Philippines, after being washed in clean water, it is usually eaten raw as a salad, mixed with chopped raw onions and fresh tomatoes, and dressed with a blend of fish sauce or fish paste (locally called bagoong) and vinegar. It is known to be rich in iodine.
A description of the experience
Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2014 Jul;4(7):575-80. doi: 10.12980/APJTB.4.2014APJTB-2014-0091.
Anti-diabetic effects of Caulerpa lentillifera: stimulation of insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cells and enhancement of glucose uptake in adipocytes.
Sharma BR1, Rhyu DY1.
- 1Department of Oriental Medicine Resources and Institute of Korean Medicine Industry, Mokpo National University, Jeonnam 534-729, Republic of Korea.
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate anti-diabetic effect of Caulerpa lentillifera (C. lentillifera).
METHODS:
The inhibitory effect of C. lentillifera extract on dipeptidyl peptidase-IV and α-glucosidase enzyme was measured in a cell free system. Then, interleukin-1β and interferon-γ induced cell death and insulin secretion were measured in rat insulinoma (RIN) cells by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and ELISA kit, respectively. Glucose uptake and glucose transporter expression were measured by fluorometry and western blotting, using 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
RESULTS:
C. lentillifera extract significantly decreased dipeptidyl peptidase-IV and α-glucosidase enzyme activities, and effectively inhibited cell death and iNOS expression in interleukin-1β and interferon-γ induced RIN cells. Furthermore, C. lentillifera extract significantly enhanced insulin secretion in RIN cells and glucose transporter expression and glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
CONCLUSIONS: Thus, our results suggest that C. lentillifera could be used as a potential anti-diabetic agent.
KEYWORDS: 3T3-L1 adipocytes; Caulerpa lentillifera; Diabetes; Glucose uptake; Insulin secretion; RIN cells
PMID: 25183280