TITLE:
Study on the Effects of Aqueous Extracts of Actinidia chinensis Planch and Mucuna macrocarpa on Type 2 Diabetic Rats
AUTHORS:
Zilong Zhou, Caiyan Yang, Lan Hou, Jinhua Wang, Biao Li, Xiaoyan Fang, Yongyi Huang, Mingyu Qiao, Xu Chang, Yuanfeng Zeng
KEYWORDS:
Actinidia chinensis Planch, Mucuna macrocarpa, Aqueous Extracts, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Protective Effect
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.14 No.3,
March
24,
2026
ABSTRACT: Objective: To investigate the potential therapeutic effects of Actinidia chinensis Planch (A. chinensis) and Mucuna macrocarpa (M. macrocarpa) extracts alone and in combination on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats induced by a high-sugar and high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin (STZ). Methods: Forty-eight 8-week-old Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were selected, with 8 rats assigned as the blank control group. The remaining 40 rats were fed a high-fat and high-sugar diet for 7 weeks combined with STZ injection to establish a T2DM rat model. Rats with successful modeling were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 8 per group): the model group, Positive drug group (metformin, 75 mg/kg/d), A. chinensis Planch treatment group (4.5 g/kg/d), M. macrocarpa treatment group (2.25 g/kg/d), and Combination treatment group (A. chinensis Planch, 4.5 g/kg/d; M. macrocarpa, 2.25 g/kg/d). All groups received corresponding interventions for 6 weeks. The differences in drug efficacy were systematically evaluated by determining the levels of relevant biochemical indicators in rats, including fasting blood glucose(FBG), postprandial blood glucose(PBG), insulin (INS), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), combined with the observation of pathological changes in liver, kidney, and spleen tissues via hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Results: Compared with the model group, the aqueous extracts derived from A. chinensis and M. macrocarpa, administered as alone or in combination, significantly reduced the fasting and PBG levels of rats, ameliorated insulin resistance, regulated lipid metabolism, decreased the levels of TC, TG and LDL-C, and elevated the level of HDL-C. Furthermore, these extracts enhanced the antioxidant capacity, increased the activities of T-SOD and T-AOC, reduced the MDA level, and alleviated the pathological damage of liver, kidney and spleen tissues to varying degrees. Among the treatment groups, M. macrocarpa treatment group exhibited a superior hypoglycemic effect to both the combination group and A. chinensis treatment group; A. chinensis treatment group showed a more prominent lipid-lowering effect. In contrast, the combination group exerted the optimal synergistic protective effect on the pathological repair of liver, kidney and spleen tissues, which was superior to those of the monotherapy groups and the positive drug group. Conclusion: The aqueous extracts of A. chinensis and M. macrocarpa both exert significant hypoglycemic, lipid-regulating, antioxidant, and organ-protective effects on T2DM rats. The combined administration of these two extracts exerts a prominent protective effect in the repair of organ damage. The underlying mechanism may be associated with ameliorating insulin resistance, regulating lipid metabolism, and inhibiting oxidative stress. This study provides novel insights into natural herbal combinations and experimental evidence for the clinical treatment of T2DM and its complications.