{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,12]],"date-time":"2025-10-12T04:19:18Z","timestamp":1760242758167,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2016,4,25]],"date-time":"2016-04-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1461542400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100003093","name":"Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["203\/PFARMASI\/6711304","203\/PFARMASI\/6711451"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["203\/PFARMASI\/6711304","203\/PFARMASI\/6711451"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100003093","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Medical Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Gongronema latifolium Benth. (GL) possesses considerable glucose lowering effects able to be utilized on a large-scale. This paper investigates the effects of a Soxhlet extract on hyperglycemia, Langerhans islets and glucose uptake by abdominal muscles. Methods: Ethanol and a Soxhlet apparatus were used to obtain GL ethanolic Soxhlet extract (GLES). It was then administered to randomly-segregated male Sprague-Dawley, normal and STZ-induced diabetic rats, using oral gavage to evaluate blood glucose levels (BGLs), serum lipid profile, insulin levels and the pancreas post-treatment. Results: GLES significantly (p &lt; 0.05) decreased BGLs of normal rats in glucose tolerance testing at a dose of 2 g\/kg b.w. but failed to do so in diabetic rats undergoing acute 7-h treatment. Given twice-daily, 1 g\/kg b.w. of GLES moderately controlled diabetic BGLs starting from day 10. After 14 days of treatment, 1 g\/kg and 0.5 g\/kg b.w. of GLES caused 44% and 50% respective increases in the average area of Langerhans islets compared to DC. Using isolated rat abdominal muscle, GLES was found to be a mild insulin-sensitizer. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of the known glucose-lowering phytosterol, Sitostenone. Conclusion: Despite retaining moderate antidiabetic activity, Soxhlet extraction of Gongronema latifolium probably leads to the destruction of active heat-liable compounds.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/medsci4020009","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2016,4,25]],"date-time":"2016-04-25T10:02:36Z","timestamp":1461578556000},"page":"9","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["A Soxhlet Extract of Gongronema latifolium Retains Moderate Blood Glucose Lowering Effect and Produces Structural Recovery in the Pancreas of STZ-Induced Diabetic Rats"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"4","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1179-4590","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bassel","family":"Al-Hindi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11700 Minden, Penang, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nor","family":"Yusoff","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11700 Minden, Penang, Malaysia"},{"name":"Cluster of Integrative Medicine, Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, 13200 Penang, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3757-9760","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Item","family":"Atangwho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemistry, College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, P. M. B. 1115 Calabar, Nigeria"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mariam","family":"Ahmad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11700 Minden, Penang, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0420-6797","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mohd","family":"Asmawi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11700 Minden, Penang, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mun","family":"Yam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11700 Minden, Penang, Malaysia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2016,4,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1452","DOI":"10.1002\/jps.2600551228","article-title":"Antidiabetic effect of tecomine and tecostanine","volume":"55","author":"Hammouda","year":"1966","journal-title":"J. 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