Alleviative Effect of Ficus formosana Extract on Peripheral Neuropathy in Ovariectomized Diabetic Mice

Chih-Yuan Ko; Chung-Hsin Wu; Thi Kim Ngan Nguyen; Li-Wen Chen; James Swi-Bea Wu; Wen-Chung Huang; Szu-Chuan Shen

doi:10.3390/plants12213774

Alleviative Effect of Ficus formosana Extract on Peripheral Neuropathy in Ovariectomized Diabetic Mice

Plants (Basel). 2023 Nov 5;12(21):3774. doi: 10.3390/plants12213774.

Authors

Chih-Yuan Ko^{1

2

3}, Chung-Hsin Wu⁴, Thi Kim Ngan Nguyen⁵, Li-Wen Chen⁵, James Swi-Bea Wu⁶, Wen-Chung Huang⁷, Szu-Chuan Shen⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Nutrition, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou 362000, China.
² School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China.
³ School of Medical Technology and Engineering, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China.
⁴ School of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.
⁵ Graduate Program of Nutrition Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.
⁶ Graduate Institute of Food Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan.
⁷ Graduate Institute of Health Industry Technology, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taoyuan 33303, Taiwan.

Abstract

In diabetes mellitus, Ficus formosana has been reported to ameliorate blood sugar levels and inhibit inflammation through its polyphenol and flavonoid contents. However, its effect on diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Ficus formosana extract (FFE) on DPN in ovariectomized diabetic mice. Ovariectomized female C57BL/6J mice fed a high-fat diet plus streptozotocin injections to induce type 2 diabetes were orally administered FEE at 20 or 200 mg/kg BW daily, for 6 weeks. To evaluate the pain responses in the paws of the mice, a von Frey filament test and a thermal hyperalgesia test were performed. Additionally, the intraepidermal and sciatic nerve sections were examined, along with an assessment of inflammation- and pain response-related mRNA expression in the paws of the mice. The results showed that the oral administration of both 20 and 200 mg/kg BW FEE significantly alleviated the hypersensitivity of the paw and the abnormal proliferation and rupture of the C fiber, and reduced the mRNA expression of interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, interferon-γ, cyclooxygenase-2, and voltage-gated sodium channel 1.8 in the sciatic nerve of ovariectomized diabetic mice. We propose that FFE ameliorates peripheral neuropathy by suppressing oxidative damage in ovariectomized diabetic mice.

Keywords: Ficus formosana; anti-inflammation; diabetic peripheral neuropathy; oxidative damage; sciatic nerve.

Grants and funding

The authors would like to thank the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of China (ROC) (No. NSTC 111-2320-B-003-005-MY3) and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University (serial No. BS201902).