Syringaldehyde promoting intestinal motility with suppressing α-amylase hinders starch digestion in diabetic mice

• Published in: Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy 2021-09, Vol.141, p.111865-111865, Article 111865
• Main Authors: Weng, Lebin, Chen, Ting-Hsu, Zheng, Qingyan, Weng, Wei-Hao, Huang, Liyue, Lai, Dong, Fu, Yaw-Syan, Weng, Ching-Feng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetylcholinesterase; alpha-Amylases - antagonists & inhibitors; Animals; Anti-diabetes; Benzaldehydes - pharmacology; Blood Glucose; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - drug therapy; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - metabolism; Diet, High-Fat; DPP4; Gastrointestinal Motility - drug effects; Glucose Tolerance Test; Intestinal contractility; Jejunum - drug effects; M2 receptor; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Molecular Docking Simulation; Muscarinic Agonists - pharmacology; PPAR gamma; Receptors, Muscarinic - drug effects; Starch - metabolism; Syringaldehyde
• ISSN: 0753-3322; 1950-6007
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.111865

The antihyperglycemic potential of syringaldehyde has been previously investigated; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we performed a postprandial glucose test (in vivo) including oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and oral starch tolerance test (OSTT) in fructose-induced diabetic mice on a high-fat diet for mimicking type 2 diabetes to explore the hypoglycemic efficacy of syringaldehyde and the underlined molecular involvement of syringaldehyde in a glucose-lowering effect. The results revealed that syringaldehyde dose-dependently suppressed blood glucose in both the OSTT and OGTT when referenced to acarbose and metformin, respectively. Surprisingly, syringaldehyde triggered jejunum motility (ex vivo) via activation of the muscarinic-type acetylcholine receptor. By performing virtual screening with molecular docking, the data showed that syringaldehyde nicely interacted with glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-4), acetylcholine M2 receptor, and acetylcholinesterase. These results showed that syringaldehyde can potentiate intestinal contractility to abolish the α-amylase reaction when concurrently reducing retention time and glucose absorption to achieve a glucose-lowering effect in diabetic mice, suggesting its potential therapeutic benefits with improvement for use as a prophylactic and treatment. •Syringaldehyde can promote intestinal contractility with reducing retention time.•Syringaldehyde abolishes the α-amylase activity and decreases glucose absorption.•Syringaldehyde performs potentially the glucose-lowering effect in diabetic mice.•Syringaldehyde has therapeutic benefits for prophylactic and treatment of diabetes.