{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T06:11:25Z","timestamp":1787206285799,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,26]],"date-time":"2026-02-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772064000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100005732","name":"National Taiwan Ocean University","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["NTOU 92200001"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NTOU 92200001"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100005732","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Nutraceuticals, consisting of bioactive compounds or materials, are increasingly regarded as promising strategies for the prevention and management of diabetes. This study aimed to evaluate the antidiabetic potential of a nutraceutical formulation (Sugar Care, SC) composed of indigestible maltodextrin, pumpkin extract, and bitter melon extract, using a type 2 diabetic mouse model. Methods: A starch postprandial model in fasted normal mice was first used to assess postprandial glycemic response. Oral administration of SC at 820 and 1230 mg\/kg was applied for two weeks prior to starch challenge. Subsequently, male db\/db mice were randomly assigned to a diabetic control group or an SC-treated group (820 mg\/kg; n = 8 per group) for four weeks. Glucose tolerance, fasting glucose and insulin levels, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), lipid profile, fructosamine, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARSs) were evaluated. Results: SC at 820 and 1230 mg\/kg significantly ameliorated starch-induced postprandial hyperglycemia in normal mice (p &lt; 0.05). In db\/db mice, four-week administration of SC significantly improved glucose tolerance and reduced fasting hyperinsulinemia and HOMA-IR values (p &lt; 0.05). SC treatment also significantly decreased plasma fructosamine and TBARS levels, as well as total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations (p &lt; 0.05). Conclusions: These findings provide preclinical evidence that this multi-component nutraceutical formulation improves glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia in a genetic model of type 2 diabetes. Further mechanistic and translational studies are warranted.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu18050757","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,26]],"date-time":"2026-02-26T13:58:03Z","timestamp":1772114283000},"page":"757","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["A Fiber- and Plant-Based Nutraceutical Attenuates Insulin Resistance and Oxidative Stress in Type 2 Diabetic Mice"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9976-1197","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shing-Hwa","family":"Liu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Toxicology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10051, Taiwan"},{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine and Hospital, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10051, Taiwan"},{"name":"Department of Medical Research, China Medical University Hospital, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ting-Yu","family":"Chang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Toxicology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10051, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3481-7505","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Meng-Tsan","family":"Chiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Food Science, National Taiwan Ocean University, Keelung 20224, Taiwan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (WHO) (2025, December 10). 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