The antidiabetic plants Tecoma stans (L.) Juss. ex Kunth (Bignoniaceae) and Teucrium cubense Jacq (Lamiaceae) induce the incorporation of glucose in insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant murine and human adipocytes.

OBJECTIVE

Tecoma stans (L.) Juss. ex Kunth (Bignoniaceae) and Teucrium cubense Jacq (Lamiaceae) are plants extensively used for the empirical treatment of diabetes mellitus, but their antidiabetic mechanisms remain to be clarified. In this study, the effect of aqueous extracts of Tecoma stans (TSE) and Teucrium cubense (TCE) on the glucose uptake in adipose cells was evaluated.

METHODS

Non-toxic concentrations of TSE and TCE were assayed on the adipogenesis and 2-NBDglucose uptake in insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant murine 3T3-F442A and human subcutaneous adipocytes.

RESULTS

Both extracts stimulated 2-NBDG uptake by insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant adipocytes in a concentration-dependent manner. In insulin-sensitive cells, TSE 70 microg/ml stimulated 2-NBDG uptake by 193% (murine) and by 115% (human), whereas the same concentration of TCE induced the 2-NBDG uptake by 112% (murine) and 54% (human). In insulin-resistant adipocytes, TSE induced the 2-NBDG uptake by 94% (murine) and 70% (human), compared with the incorporation shown by insulin-sensitive adipocytes stimulated by the hormone, whereas TCE induced the incorporation of 2-NBDG by 69% (murine) and 31% (human). On the other hand, TSE and TCE exerted only minimal or null proadipogenic effects on murine and human preadipocytes.

CONCLUSIONS

Tecoma stans and Teucrium cubense exert their antidiabetic effects stimulating glucose uptake in both insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant murine and human adipocytes without significant proadipogenic or antiadipogenic side effects.