Antiglycemic and anticomplementary potential of an edible plant Gnaphalium hypoleucum DC

Gnaphalium hypoleucum DC is used as a wild vegetable, named “Qing Ming Cai”, as well as a folk medicine in China. One new compound, Gnaphaliin C, and nineteen known compounds were isolated and indentified from G. hypoleucum, total flavonoids were analyzed by UHPLC-Q-TOF/MS. The α-glucosidase inhibitory and anti-complementary activities of all compounds and total flavonoids were evaluated. Total flavonoids and ten compounds exhibited anti-complementary activities. Total flavonoids and six compounds inhibited α-glucosidase. The antihyperglycaemic effects of total flavonoids were investigated by streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. Total flavonoids improved the glucose tolerance and decreased blood sugar, increased muscle glycogen content, decreased the levels of triacylglycerol (TG) and total cholesterol (TC), enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) level in diabetic mice. G. hypoleucum and its total flavonoids could be used as functional food for diabetics.