Hypoglycemic and hepatoprotective effects of polysaccharides from Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch seeds

Intake of dietary high fructose (HF) exerts a number of adverse metabolic effects. The present study was to investigate whether Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch seed polysaccharides (ASKP) alleviated hyperglycemia, hepatic steatosis and oxidative injury in mice fed HF water. After 8 weeks of the experiment, administration of ASKP at 400 and 800mg/kgbw significantly reduced the fasting serum glucose, insulin concentrations and the homeostasis model assessment of basal insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) of the mice fed 20% HF water. In the oral glucose tolerance test, the administration of ASKP at 400 and 800mg/kgbw had a reduced plasma glucose concentrations after 15min of glucose loading in HF-fed mice, indicating that ASKP improved glucose intolerance. ASKP also remarkably ameliorated the HF-induced elevation of liver lipid contents and oxidative injury in mice, and caused the reduction of liver lipid peroxidation and the elevation of hepatic antioxidant system. Histopathology of the liver by conventional H&E and Oil Red O staining confirmed the liver steatosis and oxidative injury induced by HF diet and the hepatoprotective effect of ASKP. This is the first report showing that ASKP can ameliorate the high fructose-induced hyperglycemia, hepatic steatosis and oxidative injury.