A marine algal polyphenol inhibits high-glucose induced oxidative stress in zebrafish embryos

Abstract

Recently zebrafish (Danio rerio) has been used to a powerful model for human disease. Therefore, the anti-diabetic compound of dieckol (DK), one of marine algal polyphenols isolated from Ecklonia cava was confirmed for its anti-diabetes activity in zebrafish model. The zebrafish were divided to four groups, the normal (alloxan-untreated) and alloxan-induced diabetic zebrafish without (control) and with DK as well as metofrmin a commercial drug. The DK group was decreased more 3.3 times compared with the control group in the blood glucose levels of the hyperglycemia zebrafish at 90 min. Furthermore, reduced glucose-6-phosphate and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase were observed by the treatments of DK and metformin in the liver tissues and increased phosporylation of protein kinase B (Akt) in the muscle tissue in the zebrafish model. Akt activation was involved in mediating the effect of DK on glucose transport activation and insulin sensitivity.These results prove that DK exerts a strong anti-diabetic effect by improving blood glucose regulation, hepatic glucose metabolic regulation and Akt up-regulation in alloxan induced hyperglycemia zebrafish.