Efficacy and safety of a dieckol-rich extract (AG-dieckol) of brown algae, Ecklonia cava, in pre-diabetic individuals: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial

• Published in: Food & function Vol. 6; no. 3; pp. 853 - 858
• Main Authors: Lee, Seung-Hong, Jeon, You-Jin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.03.2015
• Subjects: adults; algae; Benzofurans - adverse effects; Benzofurans - therapeutic use; Biological Products - adverse effects; Biological Products - therapeutic use; blood chemistry; c-peptide; C-Peptide - blood; diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - prevention & control; Dietary Supplements - adverse effects; Double-Blind Method; Ecklonia; Ecklonia cava; Female; females; foods; glucose; hematologic tests; hematology; Humans; hyperglycemia; Hyperglycemia - prevention & control; Hyperinsulinism - prevention & control; Hypoglycemic Agents - adverse effects; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; Insulin - blood; Insulin Resistance; Male; males; Middle Aged; Pacific Ocean; Phaeophyceae - chemistry; Phaeophyceae - growth & development; placebos; Prediabetic State - blood; Prediabetic State - diet therapy; Prediabetic State - metabolism; randomized clinical trials; Republic of Korea; Seaweed - chemistry; Seaweed - growth & development; Pacific Ocean; Republic of Korea
• ISSN: 2042-6496; 2042-650X; 2042-650X
• DOI: 10.1039/c4fo00940a

The effects of 12 weeks of supplementation with a dieckol-rich extract (AG-dieckol) from brown algae, Ecklonia cava , on glycemic parameters, serum biochemistry, and hematology were investigated in this study. Eighty pre-diabetic male and female adults were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with parallel-group design. Subjects were randomly allocated into two groups designated as placebo and AG-dieckol (1500 mg per day). Compared with the placebo group, the AG-dieckol group showed a significant decrease in postprandial glucose levels after 12 weeks. The AG-dieckol group also showed a significant decrease in insulin and C-peptide levels after 12 weeks, but there was no significant difference between the AG-dieckol and placebo groups. There were no significant adverse events related to the consumption of AG-dieckol, and biochemical and hematological parameters were maintained within the normal range during the intervention period. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that AG-dieckol supplementation significantly contributes to lowering postprandial hyperglycemia and in reducing insulin resistance. Furthermore, we believe that based on these results the consumption of phlorotannin-rich foods such as marine algae may be useful for the treatment of diabetes. A dieckol-rich extract (AG-dieckol) is a promising anti-diabetic agent or pharmaceutical resource that helps to improve the quality of life for diabetic patients.