In a study published recently in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers from the University of California, Irvine and elsewhere investigated the effects of a root extract from Rhodiola rosea — which is used as a medicinal in traditional medical practices worldwide — in a mouse model of human type 2 diabetes. Their previous work showed that Rhodiola rosea had anti-inflammatory and gut microbiome-modulating properties, while extending lifespan in several animal models. In the new study, treatment with Rhodiola rosea improved fasting blood glucose levels, altered the response to exogenous insulin, and decreased circulating lipopolysaccharide and hepatic C-reactive protein transcript levels.
Jafari et al. found that in a mouse model of human type 2 diabetes, Rhodiola rosea lowered fasting blood sugar levels, improved response to insulin injections, modulated the composition of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract and decreased several biomarkers of inflammation. Image credit: Jerzy Opiola / CC BY-SA 3.0.
Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disease that currently ranks as one of the largest concerns of global public health, affecting an estimated 476 million people worldwide.
With both genetic and environmental factors contributing to this complex disease, diabetes is a leading cause of mortality in many countries and globally impacts life expectancy in both developed and developing nations.
One of the hallmarks of the disease is hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both.
Of the three forms of clinical diabetes, the vast majority (about 90%) of patients have type 2 diabetes, which is characterized by insulin resistance.
Whereas there are many environmental and behavioral factors that modulate genetic susceptibility to this form of diabetes, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes has risen steadily in recent decades.
Due to rising health costs associated with the increasing incidence and prevalence of diabetes worldwide, identifying and evaluating safe and cost-effective therapeutic interventions in the management of type 2 diabetes is of increasing importance.
Current treatment algorithms for type 2 diabetes include lifestyle changes, as well as oral and parenteral drugs. However, many current treatments have significant limitations or side effects that can impact this large patient population.
“The prevalence of type 2 diabetes and the associated health costs have risen steadily in recent decades,” said Professor Mahtab Jafari, a researcher in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California, Irvine.
“Humans have used plants and natural products for thousands of years to treat diseases, and our study shows Rhodiola rosea, a species of perennial flowering plant that grows in wild Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America, is a good candidate for further investigation.”
In the study, Professor Jafari and her colleagues utilized a genetically engineered mouse model that develops obesity, insulin resistance and high blood sugar, similar to advanced human type 2 diabetes, to test whether Rhodiola rosea could improve glucose homeostasis.
Cohorts of age-matched male and female mice were randomly assigned to one of two groups: control, which received water, or experimental, which were administered Rhodiola rosea extract.
“Our findings suggest that Rhodiola rosea might be beneficial for treating type 2 diabetes, acting through changes in the microbiome that result in increased gut barrier integrity and decreased translocation of inflammatory molecules into the blood circulation,” Professor Jafari said.
“Gut barrier integrity influences body weight and insulin response, and this botanical product may improve the responses of liver and muscle tissues to insulin produced by the pancreas.”
The authors now plan to perform a larger follow-up study in a different mouse model of obesity-induced diabetes to confirm these findings and to investigate the molecular mechanisms involved.
Ultimately, they hope to conduct Rhodiola rosea clinical trials in patients with type 2 diabetes.
“Our research presents a solid case for the importance of conducting high-quality pre-clinical studies based on sound methodologies to evaluate the efficacy of standardized plant extracts,” Professor Jafari said.
“We have set the stage for human clinical studies, with the ultimate goal of improving health outcomes for type 2 diabetes patients.”
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M. Jafari et al. 2022. The impact of Rhodiola rosea on biomarkers of diabetes, inflammation, and microbiota in a leptin receptor-knockout mouse model. Sci Rep 12, 10581; doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-14241-7
