Steviol Glycosides Modulate Glucose Transport in Different Cell Types

Extracts from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, a plant native to Central and South America, have been used as a sweetener since ancient times. Currently, Stevia extracts are largely used as a noncaloric high-potency biosweetener alternative to sugar, due to the growing incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitu...

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Published in:Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity 2013-01, Vol.2013 (2013), p.1-11
Main Authors: Rizzo, Benedetta, Zambonin, Laura, Angeloni, Cristina, Leoncini, Emanuela, Vieceli Dalla Sega, Francesco, Prata, Cecilia, Fiorentini, Diana, Hrelia, Silvana
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological Transport - drug effects
Caspase 3 - metabolism
Cell Line
Cell Proliferation - drug effects
Cell Survival - drug effects
Diterpenes, Kaurane - chemistry
Diterpenes, Kaurane - pharmacology
Glucose - metabolism
Glucose Transport Proteins, Facilitative - metabolism
Glycosides - chemistry
Glycosides - pharmacology
Humans
Insulin - pharmacology
L-Lactate Dehydrogenase - metabolism
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases - metabolism
Plant Extracts - pharmacology
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt - metabolism
Pyruvaldehyde - pharmacology
Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism
Signal Transduction - drug effects
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Summary:Extracts from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni, a plant native to Central and South America, have been used as a sweetener since ancient times. Currently, Stevia extracts are largely used as a noncaloric high-potency biosweetener alternative to sugar, due to the growing incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and metabolic disorders worldwide. Despite the large number of studies on Stevia and steviol glycosides in vivo, little is reported concerning the cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning the beneficial effects on human health. The effect of four commercial Stevia extracts on glucose transport activity was evaluated in HL-60 human leukaemia and in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. The extracts were able to enhance glucose uptake in both cellular lines, as efficiently as insulin. Our data suggest that steviol glycosides could act by modulating GLUT translocation through the PI3K/Akt pathway since treatments with both insulin and Stevia extracts increased the phosphorylation of PI3K and Akt. Furthermore, Stevia extracts were able to revert the effect of the reduction of glucose uptake caused by methylglyoxal, an inhibitor of the insulin receptor/PI3K/Akt pathway. These results corroborate the hypothesis that Stevia extracts could mimic insulin effects modulating PI3K/Akt pathway.
ISSN:1942-0900
1942-0994
DOI:10.1155/2013/348169