EVALUATION OF BERRY EXTRACTS ON INTESTINAL DIGESTIVE ENZYMES AND SUGAR TRANSPORTERS

ABSTRACT

Diabetes mellitus affects over 8% of the world population, with the great majority having type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). T2DM is characterized by postprandial hyperglycemia and has been identified as key causes of morbidity and mortality with substantial health care costs due to its complications. Therefore, managing postprandial hyperglycemia can be an important and practical approach to reduce premature morbidity and mortality and economic loss. The causes of T2DM are multifactorial and include both genetic and environmental factors. Also, increased oxidative stress can be influenced on the prevalence of T2DM. However, sedentary lifestyle and high-calorie diets are considered as major contributing factors for the development of T2DM. In particular, consumption of high sucrose elevates blood glucose level dramatically. Thus, artificial sweeteners were extensively used, however artificial sweeteners are also increased the prevalence of T2DM. One of the therapeutic approaches to attenuate hyperglycemia is to inhibit intestinal ɑ- glucosidase enzyme and suppress glucose transporters that regulate intestinal glucose digestion and absorption. In recent studies, consumption of fruits and vegetables has been shown to decrease postprandial hyperglycemia and risk of T2DM by inhibiting carbohydrate digestion and absorption in the small intestine due to their bioactive compounds. Therefore, there is an increased interest to find the natural sources to prevent T2DM. In particular, demands of berry fruits are increased steadily due their natural antioxidants and bioactive compounds. The antidiabetic effects of various berry extracts or berry mixture in pre-clinical and clinical studies were shown. However, the underlying pathways of individual berries at the molecular level are still unclear. Also, it has not been investigated whether berries can manage the plasma glucose with dietary factors. It may be possible that beneficial effects of berry consumption could be through inhibiting carbohydrate digestion and absorption in the small intestine and it can be applied to dietary strategy so that postprandial hyperglycemia can be managed effectively.