Abstract

The glucose lowering activities of five extracts from the stipe of Caprinus comatus were studied, as were the fruitbodies of C. comatus – separated into stipe and cap, then dried and milled to obtain stipe powder and cap powder.Ethanol extract, water-soluble polysaccharide, alkali-soluble polysaccharide, protein and crude fibre were extracted fromstipe powder, and their glucose lowering activities were investigated in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. The sevenexperimental groups were given an extract, stipe powder or cap powder (300 mg/kg po daily) for 28 days. The resultsshowed that water-soluble polysaccharide presented the best glucose lowering activity in five extracts and it can almostdecrease the blood glucose of diabetic mice to a level of normal mice after 28 days. Cap powder was most effective withglucose lowering activity, for its efficacy was evident within 7 days. Therefore, water-soluble polysaccharide of stipe or thecap powder of C. comatus can be developed as potential oral hypoglycemic agents or functional foods in the control ofdiabetes mellitus.