Maltol, a food flavor enhancer, attenuates diabetic peripheral neuropathy in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Abstract

SCOPE:

Maltol (3-hydroxy-2-methy-4-pyrone), a potent antioxidative agent, typically is used to enhance flavor and preserve food. This study evaluated its effects on preventing diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats and explored its mechanisms.

METHODS AND RESULTS:

We intraperitoneally injected Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with STZ (65 mg kg-1, ip) and treated the rats with different doses of maltol after 4 weeks of injection. During treatment, we evaluated motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) and thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia and assayed the oxidative stress, Na+-K+-ATPase activity, and apoptosis. Repeated treatment with maltol for 12 weeks significantly improved thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia, increased the MNCV, elevated the Na+-K+-ATPase activity, and ameliorated oxidative stress and apoptosis in STZ-induced diabetic rats. We coincubated RSC96 cells, a Schwann cell line, with maltol and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, 0.6 mM). Evidently, maltol increased cell viability and inhibited apoptosis after injury by H2O2.

CONCLUSIONS:

Maltol was demonstrated to prevent DPN development and may provide a new alternative for the treatment of DPN.

• Authors: Nan Guo , Caina Li , Quan Liu , Shuainan Liu , Yi Huan , Xing Wang , Guoliang Bai , Miaomiao Yang , Sujuan Sun , Caimin Xu , Zhufang Shen
• Journal: Food & function (Food Funct) Vol. 9 Issue 12 Pg. 6287-6297 (Dec 13 2018) ISSN: 2042-650X [Electronic] England
• PMID: 30411095 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antioxidants
• Flavoring Agents
• Pyrones
• maltol
• Streptozocin

Topics

• Animals
• Antioxidants (administration & dosage)
• Apoptosis (drug effects)
• Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental (complications)
• Diabetic Neuropathies (drug therapy, metabolism, physiopathology)
• Flavoring Agents (administration & dosage)
• Humans
• Hyperalgesia (drug therapy, metabolism, physiopathology)
• Male
• Oxidative Stress (drug effects)
• Peripheral Nerves (drug effects, physiopathology)
• Pyrones (administration & dosage)
• Rats
• Streptozocin