Table 3.
The summary of animal and clinical studies regarding anti-diabetic effects of nettle and related mechanisms
| Type of Study | Type of animal | Dosage of Nettle Extract | Duration of Study | Induction of Diabetes | Main Outcomes | Mechanisms | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animal | rats | 40-60 ml/day | 4 weeks | Fructose (66%) | ↓serum glucose | ↓insulin resistance | (82) |
| rats | 50, 100 or 200 mg/kg/day | 2 weeks | Fructose (10%) | ↓serum glucose | ↓FIRI | (104) | |
| rats | 10% | 8 weeks | Fructose (21%) | ↓serum and urine glucose | (83) | ||
| rats | 250 mg/kg | 2 hr | Alloxan (120 mg/kg/day) |
↓serum glucose | ↓intestinal glucose absorption | (84) | |
| mice | 150 mg/kg | 8 days | Alloxan (200 mg/kg/day) |
↓serum glucose | prevented GluT2 gene expression | (85) | |
| mice | 20 mg/kg | 1 week | Alloxan (65 mg/kg) |
↓serum glucose, ↓fructosamine | (91) | ||
| rabbits | 4 ml/kg | 5 hr | Dextrose (50%, 4 ml/kg) |
↑serum glucose | (92) | ||
| rats | 1 week | STZ (40 mg/kg) | ↓serum glucose | ↑insulin secretion | (86) | ||
| rats | 12.5 ml/kg/day | 4 weeks | STZ (50 mg/kg) | ↓serum glucose recovered islet volumes and β-cell numbers | ↑insulin secretion, preventing islet atrophy and/or regenerating pancreatic β-cells |
(87) | |
| rats | 100 mg/kg/day | 5 weeks | STZ (80 mg/kg) | ↓serum glucose | protective effect on β-cells | (88, 89) | |
| rats | 15 mg/kg/day | 8 weeks | STZ (50 mg/kg) | slight to moderate rearrangement of pancreatic islets | protective effect on pancreatic islets | (90) | |
| rats | 1.25 g/kg | 4 weeks | STZ (90 mg/kg) | ↓fasting serum glucose | (57) | ||
| rats | 100 mg/kg/day | 5 days | STZ (80 mg/kg) | ↓serum glucose | proliferation of β-cells | (34) | |
| rats | 100 mg/kg/day | 4 weeks | STZ (60 mg/kg) | ↓serum glucose | (56) | ||
| rats | 0.40-0.60 ml/day | 4 weeks | STZ (65 mg/kg) | ↓fasting serum glucose | (33) | ||
| mice | 6.25% | 4 weeks | STZ (200 mg/kg) | ↑serum glucose | (93) | ||
| rats | 625 mg/kg, 1.25 g/kg | 4 weeks | STZ (50 mg/kg) | ↓serum glucose ↑insulin resistance ↑insulin sensitivity |
↑insulin secretion, ↑glucose uptake, regeneration of β-cells, ↓β-cell damage |
(105) | |
| rats | 100 mg/kg | 4 weeks | STZ (60 mg/kg) | ↓serum glucose | ↓GSK-3 beta level ↑K-Ras |
(102) | |
| rats | 500, 1000 mg/kg orally, 25, 50 mg/kg IP |
single dose | STZ | hypoglycemic effect with a stronger response in IP models | (81) | ||
| Human | ___ | 100 mg/kg/day | 8 weeks | ___ | no significant effect on fasting blood glucose | ↓insulin resistance | (94) |
| ___ | 100 mg/kg/day | 8 weeks | ___ | ↓fasting blood glucose | (95) | ||
| ___ | 10 g/day | 8 weeks | ___ | ↓blood glucose, ↓body weight | (96) | ||
| ___ | 500 mg TDS | 3 months | ___ | ↓fasting blood glucose, ↓2hPPG, ↓HbA1c |
inhibition of α-glucosidase, PPAR-γ agonistic properties, ↑insulin secretion | (97) | |
| ___ | 10 gr/day | 8 weeks | ___ | ↓blood glucose | (98) | ||
| ___ | 8 weeks | ___ | ↓mean serum fasting blood glucose, ↓glycosylated hemoglobin |
(60) | |||
| ___ | 1 capsule (200mg/600mg) TDS | 90 days | ___ | ↓blood glucose | (99) | ||
| ___ | 3 Glucolevel tablets/day | 4 weeks | ___ | regulated glucose-homeostasis | (100) |
FIRI: Fasting insulin resistance index, GluT2: Glucose transporter 2, STZ: Streptozotocin, IP: Intraperitoneally, 2hPPG: 2 hr postprandial glucose, HbA1c: Hemoglobin A1C, PPAR: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, GSK-3 beta: Glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta, TDS: 3 times a day