A Review on the Mechanisms Underlying Antihypertensive and Anti-obesity Effects of Eucommia Leaf Extract between Rodents and Humans | Chapter 6 | Research Perspective on Biological Science Vol. 5

 

Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. is a deciduous tree that can grow up to 20 m in height. The bark of the tree has been listed in the Chinese pharmaceutical book “Shennong Ben Cao Jing” since 300 AD. In the 1970s, Eucommia leaf tea, known as Tochu-cha in Japanese, was developed from roasted Eucommia leaves in Japan and is considered as a healthy tea. The antihypertensive, diuretic, anti-stress, insulin resistance improvement and anti-obesity effects of Eucommia leaf extract have been reported. However, the identification and properties of the active components as well as the underlying mechanism of action are largely unknown. This review summarizes studies involving the oral administration of geniposidic acid, a major iridoid component of Eucommia leaf extract which increases plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) on the atria of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) by activating the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R). Changes in the gut microbiota play an important role in the efficacy of asperuloside, another component of the Eucommia leaf extract, which improves obesity and related sequelae, such as insulin resistance and glucose intolerance in rodents and humans. In addition, it was shown that ANP secretion by geniposidic acid also shows an anti-obesity effect with improvement of insulin resistance in rodents. This review focuses on the mechanisms underlying the antihypertensive and anti-obesity effects of the Eucommia leaf extract and summarizes the differences of mechanisms in their effects on rodents and humans. This review discussed the potential benefits of Eucommia leaf extract, geniposidic acid, and asperuloside in managing metabolic disorders, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes in rodent models. However, to demonstrate these effects in the case of humans, a combination of a potent cAMP-PDE (cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate-Phosphodiesterase) inhibitor with Eucommia leaf extract may be necessary, which requires further human clinical evaluation in the future.

 

Author (s) Details

Sansei Nishibe
Faculy of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Ishikari 061-0293, Hokkaido, Japan.

 

Hirotaka Oikawa
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzuka University of Medical Science, 3500-3 Minamitamagaki-cho, Suzuka 513-8670, Mie, Japan.

 

Kumiko Mitsui-Saitoh
Faculty of Health and Sports, Nagoya Gakuin Unversity, 1350 Kamishinano, Seto 480-1298, Aichi, Japan.

 

Junichi Sakai
Faculty of Health and Sports, Nagoya Gakuin Unversity, 1350 Kamishinano, Seto 480-1298, Aichi, Japan.

 

Wenping Zhang

Faculty of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, Suzuka University of Medical Science, 1001-1 Kishioka-cho, Suzuka 510-0293, Mie, Japan.

 

Takahiko Fujikawa
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzuka University of Medical Science, 3500-3 Minamitamagaki-cho, Suzuka 513-8670, Mie, Japan.

 

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