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Updated: Sep 1, 2026

Measurement of Insulin- and Contraction-Stimulated Glucose Uptake in Isolated and Incubated Mature Skeletal Muscle from Mice
Published on: May 16, 2021
Bio-Guided Fractionation of Cardamom Ethyl Acetate Fraction Promotes Glucose Uptake via GLUT4 Translocation through
Liyuan Fang1, Ken-Yu Hironao1, Hitoshi Ashida2
1Department of Agrobioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University.
Abstract:
Regulation of skeletal muscle glucose uptake is an effective strategy for reducing postprandial hyperglycemia and improving whole-body glucose homeostasis in the management of type 2 diabetes. The present study investigated that cardamom enhances glucose uptake in skeletal muscle in vitro and improves glucose tolerance in vivo. Bioactivity-guided fractionation of cardamom identified an ethyl acetate fraction (Fr. A) and its subfraction (Fr. A-i) as potent stimulators of glucose uptake in L6 myotubes. Both fractions significantly promoted glucose uptake by enhancing glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) translocation to the plasma membrane. Mechanistic investigations revealed activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway, accompanied by increased phosphorylation of Akt substrate of 160 kDa (AS160), a key regulator of GLUT4 vesicle trafficking, while no significant changes were observed in insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) or AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation. Fr. A induced a more pronounced effect on AS160 phosphorylation and was therefore selected for further evaluation. The antihyperglycemic potential of Fr. A was assessed in ICR mice using an oral glucose tolerance test. Oral administration of Fr. A (1 and 10 mg/kg body weight) significantly improved glucose tolerance and alleviated postprandial hyperglycemia. Cardamom in skeletal muscle and highlights its potential as a natural therapeutic candidate for the management of postprandial hyperglycemia.
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