| 摘要 |
<p>A novel triterpenoid saponin having neither unpleasant tastes, such as astringency and bitterness, nor inhibitory effect on the sweet taste responses but having an inhibitory effect on glucose absorption, a preventive and therapeutic agent for diabetes mellitus, an additive to a diet and a diet containing the triterpenoid saponin. The triterpenoid saponin comprises (3 beta ,16 beta )-16,28-dihydroxyolean-12-en-3-yl-2-O- beta -D-glucopyranosyl- beta -D-glucopyranosiduronic acid. The intended triterpenoid saponin can be provided by subjecting leaves of Gymnema inodorum widely distributed in Southeast Asia to extraction with a solvent, evaporating the extract to dryness, washing the residue with an acid to remove base ingredients, defatting the washed residue, extracting the defatted residue with acetone, evaporating the extract to dryness, extracting the residue with diethyl carbonate to provide a crude crystal, dissolving the crude crystal in methanol, collecting a fraction eluted in a period between 31.0 min and 33.0 min by HPLC, and recrystallizing the fraction from a solvent of acetone/chloroform (50/50). A therapeutic agent for diabetes mellitus comprising as an active ingredient the triterpenoid saponin thus obtained, and a diet comprising as an additive the triterpenoid saponin are also provided. <IMAGE></p> |
