RESUMO
Objective To observe the hypoglycemic effect of total flavonoids from mulberry tree leaf (MTF) on diabetic rats and the effect of MTF on disaccharidases from rats. Methods Diabetic rats were treated with MTF, and then the change of blood glucose of these rats was observed; the brush border membrane from the small intestine of rats was stripped and homogenized, which was incubated with MTF and disaccharides, and the inhibitory rate of MTF on disaccharidases was determined. Blood samples from portal and peripheral veins were separately collected at 30, 60, 120 min after maltose solution was infused into small intestine in vivo, then the difference of blood glucose concentration between portal and peripheral veins was determined. Results MTF exerted a hypoglycemic effect on diabetic rats by inhibition of disaccharidases, the inhibitory rate of sucrase, maltase and lactase was 68.0%, 47.1%, 27.8% respectively, the difference of blood glucose concentration between portal and peripheral veins was also reduced. Conclusion The hypoglycemic effect of MTF on diabetic rats is probably via the inhibitory effect on small intestine disaccharidases in rats.