Background: Vigna nakashimae (VN) extract has been shown to have antidiabetic and antiobesity effects in various animal studies; however, to our knowledge, no data on such effects exist in humans.
Methods: We performed a randomized placebo-controlled study to investigate the antidiabetic effects of VN extract treatment for 12 weeks in humans. A total of 18 Korean patients with type 2 diabetes were enrolled in this study and were allocated randomly to either the VN extract group (1 g thrice daily) or control group (placebo tablets) for 12 weeks. We investigated blood glucose levels, body weight, lipid profiles, and adverse events after 12 weeks of treatment. Fifteen subjects were included in the final analysis.
Results: There was no difference in age, sex, fasting glucose levels, or lipid profiles between the VN extract and control groups at baseline. However, the baseline glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels of the control group were lower than those of the VN extract group. After treatment with VN extract for 12 weeks, the body weight and lipid profile of the VN extract group remained unchanged; however, the HbA1C levels decreased by 0.36% ± 0.33% (p = 0.027). In contrast, the HbA1C levels of the control group did not change after 12 weeks (p = 0.228). During the 12-week treatment with VN extract, no serious adverse events were reported.
Conclusion: Our data indicate that VN extract has implications for glucose lowering in type 2 diabetic patients.
Keywords: Vigna nakashimae; complementary medicine; type 2 diabetes mellitus.