Preparation and characterization of D. opposita Thunb polysaccharide-zinc inclusion complex and evaluation of anti-diabetic activities

In the present work, Dioscorea opposita Thunb polysaccharide-zinc (DPS-zinc) inclusion complex was synthesized for the first time and its anti-diabetes activities against Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats were assayed. The detail structural and morphological analysis of as-prepared DPS-zinc complex was done by using different spectroscopic and microscopic methods. The pharmacological study revealed that DPS-zinc presented a potent hypoglycemic effect on STZ-induced diabetic rats, decreased the glucose and insulin levels, reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) contents and increased SOD and T-AOC activities significantly in liver. The levels of T-CHO, TG and LDL-C in serum were dramatically decreased while HDL-C level was increased with the treatment of proposed inclusion complex. In brief, DPS-zinc could be considered as a potential candidate for developing an ingredient of functional foods for zinc supplements with the hypoglycemic action.