Grape skin/pomace extract (GSE) has been commonly used as a nutritional antioxidant supplement. We have recently found that GSE intake exerts a novel inhibitory activity on intestinal alpha-glucosidases, the key enzymes controlling starch digestion and absorption. The inhibitory effect of GSE is in vivo sustainable. The dietary intake of a specific GSE significantly ameliorated postmeal hyperglycemia (by 31%) in diabetic mice. Furthermore, we showed that the GSE supplementation exerts a significant hypoglycemic effect in diet-induced obese mice independent of its effects on food intake, weight gain, or antioxidant activity. More recently, we found that the acute intake of GSE reduced postmeal glycemic response by averaging 44% among 9 human subjects (p<0.01). The consistent results from our animal and human studies suggest that grape skins/pomace contain unique non-antioxidant compounds that could be developed as a novel targeted and cost-effective dietary approach to aid in the prevention and treatment of diabetes.

Novel action of grape skin/pomace extracts on diabetes by targeting alpha-glucosidases and postprandial hyperglycemia

244th National Meeting (2012)

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