Staff PhD

Characterization of anti-diabetic compounds from selected medicinal plants

Kathrine Bisgaard Christensen

Background

In recent years Danish agriculture has experienced an increased competition in the international market for bulk-products due to differences in climate, salary, prizes on land etc. Hence, there is a growing need for the development and production of crops of a defined high quality so that Danish agriculture can keep its position internationally. Products that are based on state-of-the-art research and which implements the newest technology in every stage of the production process will be a way to keep this in the future.

Plants contain compounds with health promoting effects of which some may have a great potential as an alternative/ supplement to the traditional crops produced in Denmark if the effect of these plants towards specific diseases can be documented. The market for plant products which contain biologically active compounds with a well documented effect have expanded in recent years, and the industry is becoming much more focused on using plant based ingredients with a documented effect in their products.

One of the key areas that both researchers and the public have a great interest in are obesity related disorders, especially type 2 diabetes. Today type 2 diabetes is a rapidly growing health problem of almost epidemic proportions all over the world, which is costly not only to the affected individuals but also to the health authorities. Characteristics of type 2 diabetes are an insufficient production of insulin and a lowered sensitivity of the cells towards insulin (insulin resistance). This leads to an increased blood sugar level like in type 1 diabetes. In the treatment of diabetes exercise and a change of diet play significant roles but medication is often needed as well. Most of the drugs used clinically against type 2 diabetes increase the sensitivity of the cells towards insulin. However, one of the severe side effects from these drugs is that the patients gain weight. As obesity is one of the key factors that lead to type 2 diabetes this is a very undesirable situation and therefore there is a strong need for new type 2 diabetes drugs with lesser side effects.

Plants have been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years, and more than 1200 have been used in the treatment of diabetes. This strongly indicates that plants contain compounds that may have an effect towards type 2 diabetes, and can be used either in the treatment and/or prevention of this disease.

Aim

The aim of this project is to screen medicinal plants, which are able to grow in Northern Europe, for possible effect towards type 2 diabetes using relevant bioassays, and further to isolate and identify the compounds responsible for the observed effect.

Research Outline

Medicinal plants with a possible effect towards type 2 diabetes will be selected for screening in relevant bioassays (screening platform). The selection of plants will be based on information from the literature and other criteria e.g. whether the plants are able to grow in North European climate conditions.

Medicinal plants will be screened for possible effect towards type 2 diabetes in the screening platform which includes the following bioassays: PPAR-? activation, adipocyte-differentiation, glucose-uptake etc.

The potential biologically active compounds will be isolated by bioassay-guided chromatographic fractionation using different isolation techniques such as flash CC, analytical and preparative HPLC and TLC.

The isolated compounds will be identified by the use of spectroscopic methods like LC-MS, NMR, UV and IR.

Isolated compounds with a possible effect towards type 2 diabetes will be tested in different animal models to ensure that the effect measured in vitro (bioassays) is the same in vivo and does not result in severe side effects.