Antidiabetic Effect ofMorinda citrifolia(Noni) Fermented byCheonggukjangin KK-AyDiabetic Mice

Abstract

Antidiabetic effects ofMorinda citrifolia(aka Noni) fermented byCheonggukjang(fast-fermented soybean paste) were evaluated using a T2DM (type 2 diabetes mellitus) murine model. Six-week-old KK-Ay/TaJcl mice were randomly divided into four groups: (1) the diabetic control (DC) group, provided with a normal mouse diet; (2) the positive control (PC) group, provided with a functional health food diet; (3) theM. citrifolia(MC) group, provided with an MC-based diet; (4) the fermentedM. citrifolia(FMC) group, provided with an FMC-based diet. Over a testing period of 90 days, food and water intake decreased significantly in the FMC and PC groups compared with the DC group. Blood glucose levels in the FMC group were 211.60–252.20 mg/dL after 90 days, while those in the control group were over 400 mg/dL after 20 days. In addition, FMC supplementation reduced glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, enhanced insulin sensitivity, and significantly decreased serum triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Furthermore, a fermentedM. citrifolia70% ethanolic extract (FMCE) activated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-(PPAR-)γand stimulated glucose uptake via stimulation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in cultured C2C12 cells. These results suggest that FMC can be employed as a functional health food for T2DM management.