The Effect of Blood Sugar Regulation and Molecular Mechanism by White Potato Extract

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is an convolvulaceae in annual or perennial herbaceous plants, and also a country's major crops of grains and wide range of Asia (including Taiwan) and the African. There was a specific glycoprotein that introduced to STZ-induced diabetic rats or gene mutation can effectively reduce blood insulin levels. In human clinical studies, the sweet potato has found to reduce the plasma insulin, glucose, total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in type 2 diabetes. However never scientific evidence was showed the benefit of "white potato Simon One, WPS1". The WPS1 was first proposed by Indians as a secret medicine without scientific validation in the Central and South American. Epidemiological data from the World Health Organization health was showed that diabetes had been the the third most common chronic diseases. According to the data from Department of Health Health in 2006, the prevalence of diabetes was 8% (1.85 million people with diabetes), accounting for top five health care expenses and also the fourth leading cause of death in Taiwan. High blood sugar caused by the activity of free radicals and AGEs (Advanced glycation end products, AGEs), is considered to induce inflammation and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes. Our preliminary experiments had found that both white potato tubers and leaves part could inhibit the inflammatory response induced by AGEs. We also found that high concentrations of polyphenolic compounds in white sweet potato leaves can inhibit Caco-2 colon cancer cell growth and fat cell differentiation of 3T3-L1. In this study, we will combine the research team specialized in anti-inflammation, lipid regulation, glucose regulation, diabetes doctor and clinical nutritionist for WPS1 study. Inaddition, both of Tainung 66 potato leaves, and tubers of Tainung 57 will be a control for the regulation of blood sugar and insulin resistance functions. In the first year we will set up the standard extraction procedure for all three sweet potatoes to explore the active ingredient of separation by fingerprinting of LC-MS. The use of Q-PCR, western blot and two-dimensional proteomic tools to explore the possible molecular mechanisms about insulin resistance in cell models before and after sweet potato intervention. In the second year, the animal models will be used to assess the safty of WPS1, and then the "health food of the regulation of blood sugar function assessment" will be introduced in the assesement of leaves, stems and root of WPS1 and to explore the regulation of blood sugar metabolism in STZ induce diabetic mice later. We expect in the third year to extende our animal study to human clinical trials to confirm the evidence-based assessment of WPS1 that could be introduced and benifit to type II diabetes patient in lower blood glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, oxidative stress and inflammatory factors. In future to development of WPS1 as the regulation of blood sugar an important crops for health food.