Inhibitory effects of extract from the Schizandra chinensis on rat small intestinal ${\alpha}-amylase$ activity and postprandial blood glucose

Postprandial hyperglycemia plays an important role in the development of type 2 diabetes and complications associated with the disease such micro-and macro-vascular disease. The present study investigated the effect and action mechanism of a ethanolic extract from the Schizandra chinensis(SC-E) on hypeglycemia in vivo and in vitro. In vitro, SE-E demonstrated a potent inhibitory effects on ${\alpha}-amylase$ activity ($IC_{50}$ : 4 ${\mu}g/ml$). Its inhibition on ${\alpha}-amylase$ was determined to be competitive type. Oral administration of SE-E markedly lowered plasma glucose levels in non-fasted streptozotocin induced diabetic rats (45 mg/kg BW). In addition when it was orally administrated to rats with starch (2g/kg BW), SC-E (50 and 100 mg/kg BW) significantly suppressed the increase of blood glucose levels after starch loading . These results suggest that some edible plants merit further evaluation for clinical usefulness as anti-diabetic drugs.