The root of Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A. DC has been reported to have a wide range of health benefits in oriental food. This study examined the hypoglycemic
effects of Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A. DC aqueous-ethanol extract (PGE) in streptozotocin (STZ) -induced diabetic ICR mice (STZ diabetic mice) for the
first time. The effects of PGE on blood glucose, plasma insulin levels and body weight were investigated. A significant decrease
in blood glucose levels was observed after single administration of PGE. Furthermore, Glibenclamide and PGE significantly
suppressed the rise in blood glucose after 30 min in the acute glucose tolerance test. Treatment with glibenclamide and PGE
resulted in a reduction in blood glucose levels from the 2nd week, and this reduction was maintained until the 4th week of
treatment. The body weight changed slightly in glibenclamide and PGE treated mice in comparison with the STZ control group.
Plasma insulin levels were increased with glibenclamide treatment in STZ diabetic mice, whereas such effect was not observed
with PGE. These results indicated that PGE could induce hypoglycemic effects without stimulating insulin secretion. 相似文献
New Forests - Plantations are playing an increasingly important role in providing forest products and improving the ecological environment, but they also face many challenges, such as low... 相似文献
Interspecific interactions (e.g., competition, predation) are core determinants of insect population evolution, geographical distribution, trophic dynamics and ecosystem functioning. Following its recent invasion of eastern Asia, the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) co-inhabits maize fields with native lepidopteran herbivores, such as the common cutworm, Spodoptera litura. Here, drawing upon laboratory and field studies, we demonstrate how late-instar S. frugiperda larvae directly prey upon S. litura immature stages and competitively displace them from the maize whorl. Individual maize plants did not mediate the above interactions, with herbivore-damaged leaves not affecting the development rate of either species. In the field, ecological niches of S. frugiperda and S. litura overlapped, with species-specific occupancy rates of whorl-stage leaves (vegetative phase) and ears or tassels (reproductive phase) exceeding 70% and 90%, respectively. Field cage trials showed that S. frugiperda larvae either preyed upon or repelled S. litura larvae from maize plants, routinely resulting in more than 90% mortality of the latter. Field visits and cage studies in Yunnan (SW China) also revealed how—within an approx. 1-year time period—S. frugiperda has become a dominant species in local maize fields and co-infestation of both herbivores on the same plant is rare. Overall, our work shows how the invasive S. frugiperda exhibits a clear competitive advantage over native lepidopterans and could replace certain species within local agroecosystems. This study not only unveils the mechanistic causes of rapid ecological shifts within S. frugiperda-invaded cropping systems, but may also guide subsequent monitoring and management interventions.