ABSTRACT
The present study compared active ingredients of tea from different sources to select tea type and the fraction of tea extracts for the highest anti-hyperglycemic activity, and to verify anti-hyperglycemic activity of the selected tea extract. Tea extracts were separated and enriched by molecular weight using ultra-filtration technology. The extracts were first screened by -glucosidase inhibition assay, followed by using a rat inverted intestine sac system to measure the effect on glucose transport. Both alloxan-induced diabetic rat model and high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin-induced rat diabetes mellitus model were used to study the effects of active components on blood glucose, body weight, insulin resistance. The experimental results showed that the different kinds of tea extracts had different inhibitory effects on -glucosidase, and the inhibitory effect of tea extract E on -glucosidase was stronger. The effects of different components of tea extract E also varied greatly, of which Fraction AN protein had stronger inhibitory effect on -glucosidase than other fragments, and Fraction AN protein had a strong inhibitory effect on glucose transport, reduced blood sugar and normalized insulin secretion in diabetic rats. The results suggest that a glycol-protein fraction(AN) from the extracts might be responsible for the anti-hyperglycemic activity of tea polysaccharides. The AN glycol-protein fraction has strong inhibitory effects on both -glucosidase activity and glucose transport by the small intestine. It also reduced blood glucose level and normalized insulin secretion in diabetic rats, and has a protective effect on diabetic rats.