Supplementation of papaya leaf juice has beneficial effects on glucose homeostasis in high fat/high sugar-induced obese and prediabetic adult mice

• Published in: BMC complementary and alternative medicine Vol. 24; no. 1; p. 18
• Main Authors: Nyakundi, Benard B, Wall, Marisa M, Yang, Jinzeng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 03.01.2024; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adipose tissue; AKT protein; Animals; Biological products; Blood; Blood glucose; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Blood levels; Blood sugar; Body Weight; Carica - metabolism; Cholesterol; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent); Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Diet; Diet, High-Fat - adverse effects; Dietary restrictions; Dietary Supplements; Drinking water; Drugs; Fasting; Fatty liver; Fatty Liver - drug therapy; Glucose; Health aspects; High fat diet; Homeostasis; Hyperglycemia; Hyperlipidemia; Insulin; Insulin resistance; Insulin sensitivity; Juices; Leaves; Lipids; Liver; Liver diseases; Low density lipoproteins; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Metabolic disorders; Mice; Muscles; Nutrient deficiency; Obesity; Obesity - drug therapy; Obesity - metabolism; Papaya leaf; Papayas; Pharmacology; Phytochemicals; Plant extracts; Plant Leaves; Plasma; Prediabetes; Prediabetic state; Prediabetic State - drug therapy; Proteins; Signs and symptoms; Skeletal muscle; Steatosis; Sugar; Sugars - therapeutic use; Supplements; Toxicity; Triglycerides; Type 2 diabetes; Weight reduction; United States > US; Blood glucose; Diabetes; Prediabetes; Insulin sensitivity; Papaya leaf
• ISSN: 2662-7671; 2662-7671; 1472-6882
• DOI: 10.1186/s12906-023-04320-1

Prediabetes is characterized by a cluster of glycemic parameters higher than normal but below the threshold of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). In recent years, phytochemical-rich plant extracts have gained popularity as therapeutic agents for metabolic disorders. This study investigated the effects of papaya leaf (PL) juice supplementation on blood glucose levels in diet-induced obese and prediabetic adult mice. B65JL F1 mice (n = 20) at 12-14 months old were fed a high fat/sugar diet (HFHS) for 120 days. Mice were switched to restricted rodent chow of 3 g feed/30 g body weight/day, supplemented with 3 g/100 mL PL juice for 30 days. HFHS diet remarkably increased fasting plasma glucose levels from 114 ± 6.54 mg/dL to 192.7 ± 10.1 mg/dL and body weight from 32.5 ± 1.6 to 50.3 ± 4.1 g. HFHS diet results in hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, and liver steatosis. The combination of PL juice and restricted diet significantly reduced body weight and fasting blood glucose levels to 43.75 ± 1.4 g and 126.25 ± 3.2 mg/dl, respectively. Moreover, PL juice with a restricted diet significantly improved lipid profile: cholesterol from 204 to 150 mg/dL, LDL-c from 110.4 to 50 mg/dL, and triglyceride from 93.7 to 60 mg/dL. Additionally, PL juice combined with a restricted diet significantly reduced adiposity, reversed fatty liver, and restored skeletal muscle Glut4 and phosphorylated (p-AKT (ser473). This study demonstrated that supplementation of PL juice with a restricted diet was more effective than a restricted diet alone in reversing major symptoms related to prediabetic and obesity conditions.