This study investigates the anti-diabetic effects of rutin from tartary buckwheat sprout in type 2 diabetes mouse model. The rutin content in tartary buckwheat sprout (TBS) is five times higher than that found in common buckwheat sprout (CBS) as evident from high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Administration of either rutin or TBS ethanolic extract to diabetes mice decreased the serum glucose level significantly. Rutin down-regulated the expression levels of protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B; it is negative regulator of insulin pathway, both transcriptionally and translationally in myocyte C2C12 in a dose-dependent manner.In conclusion, rutin can play a critical role in down-regulation of serum glucose level in type 2 diabetes.Keywords: tartary buckwheat sprout, rutin, type 2 diabetes, insulin signaling Buckwheat is a nutritious and pharmaceutically important plant. It contains valuable components that protect human health against inflammation and carcinogenesis (1). Among the main components, rutin, namely rutoside, flavonoid glycoside, is one of the most abundant polyphenols in tartary buckwheat (2). In particular, the amount of rutin has been known to be abundant in buckwheat sprout leaves. Use of buckwheat has been well known in the management of diabetes mellitus. So far, the antidiabetic effect of buckwheat was attributed to D-chiro inositol as a source of insulin mediator in buckwheat seed bran (3). In addition, the seed of tartary buckwheat was reported to improve high glucose-induced insulin resistance and diabetes in mice (4). Protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is known to be a negative regulator of the insulin signaling pathway. Increased expression of PTP1B can regulate the downstream insulin signal transduction, leading to the inhibition of glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis (5). However, there are only few studies about rutin from buckwheat sprouts against diabetes. Thus, we focused on the antidiabetic effects of rutin from tartary buckwheat sprout. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether the administration of either tartary buckwheat sprout ethanol extract or rutin lowered the serum glucose levels in vivo. In addition, we examined the mechanism of action of rutin with the target gene expression involved in insulin signaling in preadipocyte and myocyte cell lines by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunoblot analysis. EXPERIMENTAL MaterialsCommon buckwheat sprout (CBS) (Fagopyrum esculentum) and tartary buckwheat sprout (TBS) (Fagopyrum tartaricum) were obtained from the farm of the Chungbuk National University (Cheongju, Republic of Korea). Rutin (purity ≥ 95 %), isoorientin, vitexin, isovitexin and quercetin were purchased from Sigma (USA). Mouse cell lines 3T3-L1 and C2C12 were obtained from the American Type Culture Collection (USA). Male C57BL/6J and diabetes C57BL/6J (B6.Cg-m +/+ Lepr db/J ) mice were kindly provided by the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (Republic of Korea). C57BL/6J mouse is a commo...

Cadmium (Cd) stress may cause serious morphological and physiological abnormalities in addition to altering the proteome in plants. The present study was performed to explore Cd-induced morpho-physiological alterations and their potential associated mechanisms in Sorghum bicolor leaves at the protein level. Ten-day-old sorghum seedlings were exposed to different concentrations (0, 100, and 150 μM) of CdCl2, and different morpho-physiological responses were recorded. The effects of Cd exposure on protein expression patterns in S. bicolor were investigated using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) in samples derived from the leaves of both control and Cd-treated seedlings. The observed morphological changes revealed that the plants treated with Cd displayed dramatically altered shoot lengths, fresh weights and relative water content. In addition, the concentration of Cd was markedly increased by treatment with Cd, and the amount of Cd taken up by the shoots was significantly and directly correlated with the applied concentration of Cd. Using the 2-DE method, a total of 33 differentially expressed protein spots were analyzed using MALDI-TOF/TOF MS. Of these, treatment with Cd resulted in significant increases in 15 proteins and decreases in 18 proteins. Major changes were absorbed in the levels of proteins known to be involved in carbohydrate metabolism, transcriptional regulation, translation and stress responses. Proteomic results revealed that Cd stress had an inhibitory effect on carbon fixation, ATP production and the regulation of protein synthesis. Our study provides insights into the integrated molecular mechanisms involved in responses to Cd and the effects of Cd on the growth and physiological characteristics of sorghum seedlings. We have aimed to provide a reference describing the mechanisms involved in heavy metal damage to plants.

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Copper (Cu) is an essential micronutrient required for normal growth and development of plants; however, at elevated concentrations in soil, copper is also generally considered to be one of the most toxic metals to plant cells due to its inhibitory effects against many physiological and biochemical processes. In spite of its potential physiological and economical significance, molecular mechanisms under Cu stress has so far been grossly overlooked in sorghum. To explore the molecular alterations that occur in response to copper stress, the present study was performed in ten-day-old Cu-exposed leaves of sorghum seedlings. The growth characteristics were markedly inhibited, and ionic alterations were prominently observed in the leaves when the seedlings were exposed to different concentrations (0, 100, and 150 µM) of CuSO4. Using two-dimensional gels with silver staining, 643 differentially expressed protein spots (≥1.5-fold) were identified as either significantly increased or reduced in abundance. Of these spots, a total of 24 protein spots (≥1.5-fold) from Cu-exposed sorghum leaves were successfully analyzed by MALDI-TOF-TOF mass spectrometry. Of the 24 differentially expressed proteins from Cu-exposed sorghum leaves, 13 proteins were up-regulated, and 11 proteins were down-regulated. The abundance of most identified protein species, which function in carbohydrate metabolism, stress defense and protein translation, was significantly enhanced, while that of another protein species involved in energy metabolism, photosynthesis and growth and development were severely reduced. The resulting differences in protein expression patterns together with related morpho-physiological processes suggested that these results could help to elucidate plant adaptation to Cu stress and provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of Cu responses in C4 plants.

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