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Our interest has focused on the investigation of the anti-obese potential of kidney beans (P. vulgaris) pods extract. In the course of the study, obesity development in rats was induced with high-calorie diet. Control and obese rats then have consumed with aqueous kidney beans (P. vulgaris) pods extract during 6 weeks (200 mg/kg). Results show that the long-term consumption of P. vulgaris pods extract can lead to the reduction of hyperglycemia and insulin resistance development. Furthermore, we saw a normalization of lipid peroxidation parameters and oxidative modification of protein due to the consumption of the kidney beans (P. vulgaris) pods extract. Our experimental data demonstrate the ability of the kidney beans (P. vulgaris) pod extracts to mitigate obesity development but the details of this mechanism remains to be not fully understood.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the hypoglycemic activity of the aqueous extract from the fruit walls of Phaseolus vulgaris pods and to examine the potential mechanism underlying the improvement of the glycemic level. In the course of the study, diabetes mellitus was induced in rats with a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (45 mg·kg−1 b.w.). Diabetic and control rats were then orally administered with a single-dose or repeated-dose (28 day) of P. vulgaris extract (200 mg·kg−1). Results show that the extract was found to possess significant hypoglycemic activity, and the study of glucose utilization by isolated rat hemidiaphragm suggests that the aqueous extract may enhance the peripheral utilization of glucose. The subsequent experiments have revealed that the P. vulgaris extract could increase glucose transporter 4 (GLUT-4) content in skeletal muscle cells of control and diabetic rats. Our data also indicate that the P. vulgaris extract did not affect the content of the insulin receptor, but significantly reduced the total tyrosine kinase activity in skeletal muscle cells of both experimental groups of rats. The present results clearly indicated that P. vulgaris extract may be beneficial for reducing hyperglycemia through its potency in regulation of glucose utilization via GLUT-4, but the current mechanism remains to be unidentified.

The aim of the present study was to determine whether orally applied collagen fragments (CFs) could affect the development of obesity in obese rats. To this end, experimental rats that were exposed to a high-calorie diet (HCD) for four weeks were randomly divided into two groups: HCD and HCD+CFs, with both groups continuing to receive the HCD. However, rats from the HCD+CFs group were also provided with CFs in a 0.05-M citrate buffer (pH 5.0) (1 g·kg-1 of body weight) by intragastric administration, every other day for the next six weeks. Selected parameters associated with obesity development and insulin resistance, as well as serum markers of oxidative stress and the cytokine profile were assessed at the end of the 10th week. Supplementation with CFs resulted in a decrease in body weight and body mass index when compared to animals exposed to a HCD. The observed changes were assumed to be caused by a lower food intake and increased water intake by obese rats treated with CFs. Enhanced activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration were detected in the HCD+CF group of animals when compared to untreated HCD-fed rats. Administration of CFs also lowered the serum concentrations of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-12, whereas the concentration of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was significantly increased and the concentration of cytokine IL-4 was near the control value. Decreased concentrations of fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin (GHbA1c) and serum insulin and increased tolerance to glucose in the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were observed in the HCD+CF group of animals when compared to rats in the HCD group. We concluded that CFs mediated a therapeutic effect on obesity development in rats exposed to a HCD by affecting pathways involved in obesity pathogenesis.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the hypoglycemic activity of the aqueous extract from the fruit walls of Phaseolus vulgaris pods and to examine the potential mechanism underlying the improvement of the glycemic level. In the course of the study, diabetes mellitus was induced in rats with a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (45 mg·kg-1 b.w.). Diabetic and control rats were then orally administered with a singledose or repeated-dose (28 day) of P. vulgaris extract (200 mg·kg-1). Results show that the extract was found to possess significant hypoglycemic activity, and the study of glucose utilization by isolated rat hemidiaphragm suggests that the aqueous extract may enhance the peripheral utilization of glucose. The subsequent experiments have revealed that the P. vulgaris extract could increase glucose transporter 4 (GLUT-4) content in skeletal muscle cells of control and diabetic rats. Our data also indicate that the P. vulgaris extract did not affect the content of the insulin receptor, but significantly reduced the total tyrosine kinase activity in skeletal muscle cells of both experimental groups of rats. The present results clearly indicated that P. vulgaris extract may be beneficial for reducing hyperglycemia through its potency in regulation of glucose utilization via GLUT-4, but the current mechanism remains to be unidentified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]