Does Portulaca oleracea (purslane) hold anti-diabetic potential?

A new study has shown that the extract of Portulaca oleracea (known as the common purslane) contains hypoglycemic and pancreatic protective properties. The study, published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, investigated the effects of P. oleracea extract against diabetes.

• Researchers at Al-Azhar University and Misr International University in Egypt aimed to determine the potential and curative effects of P. oleracea extract against diabetes.
• In the study, the researchers randomly divided 40 mice into four groups: one control group; a group of healthy mice treated with P. oleracea extract at a daily dose of 250 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) for four weeks; an alloxan-induced diabetic control group; and an alloxan-induced diabetic group pretreated with P. oleracea extract at a daily dose of 250 mg/kg for four weeks.
• The research team also measured the body weight, food consumption, blood serum levels of glucose, C peptide, glycated hemoglobin (Hb A1C), insulin, tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-6 of all mice in all groups.
• Results revealed that the P. oleracea extract pretreatment to diabetic mice led to significant reductions in blood sugar levels. This finding was supported by histopathological tests, which showed marked improvement of the detrimental effect on pancreatic islet cells induced by alloxan.
• The decrease in blood glucose improved β-cell number and size, which are essential targets in the management of diabetes, resulting in better insulin secretion and better glycemic control.
• There were also significant reductions in Hb A1C levels, which indicated that the total blood glucose levels were being better managed most likely due to improvements in insulin secretion.
• Moreover, pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6, which are known to play an important role in the progression of insulin resistance, decreased in the mice pretreated with P. oleracea extract.
• Overall, these effects resulted in significant increases in C peptide and insulin in comparison to levels in the counterpart diabetic mice.

Based on the findings of the study, the researchers concluded that P. oleracea extract can be a potential preventive treatment for diabetes.

For the full text of the study, visit this link.

Journal Reference:

Ramadan, BK, Schaalan MF, Tolba AM. HYPOGLYCEMIC AND PANCREATIC PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF PORTULACA OLERACEA EXTRACT IN ALLOXAN INDUCED DIABETIC RATS. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2017; 17(37). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-016-1530-1