Hypoglycemic effect of soluble polysaccharide and catechins from green tea on inhibiting intestinal transport of glucose.

BACKGROUND: Water soluble polysaccharide derived from green tea (WSP) is produced as byproducts when catechins were extracted from green tea. Although inhibitory effect of green tea catechins on the glucose transport in small intestine has been studied, the hypoglycemic efficacy of the WSP or its combinational effect has not been studied. In order to investigate hypoglycemic efficacy of the WSP or its combinational effect with green tea extract (GTE), co-consumption of GTE and WSP with wheat starch was investigated using in vitro digestion coupled with Caco-2 cells. The mechanism of the intestinal glucose transport was elucidated throughout the gene expression of the intestinal glucose transporters, which included SGLT1 and GLUT2, using qRT-PCR. RESULTS: The co-digestion of wheat starch with GTE during the small intestinal phase was the most rapidly digested into reducing sugar (73.96 g L(-1) ) compared to itself (48.44 g L(-1) ), WSP (60.35 g L(-1) ), and GTE + WSP (61.81 g L(-1) ). Intestinal glucose transport was 11.82, 7.59, 4.49, and 2.40% for wheat starch, wheat starch with GTE, WSP, and GTE + WSP, respectively. The highest decreased expression pattern in SGLT1 was observed when cells treated with wheat starch + GTE + WSP (0.66-fold) compared to GTE or WSP treatment. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that co-consumption of green tea derived products with wheat starch could delay the intestinal absorption of glucose. Results from the current study suggested that GTE and WSP could be the useful supplements of dietary therapy for hyperglycemia to delay the glucose absorption. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.