A study on the ameliorative effects of goldenseal, goat's rue extracts, and berberine on glucose uptake compared to metformin in a cellular model

This study examines the effects of goat's rue (Galega officinalis L.), goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) leaves, root extracts, and berberine on glucose uptake in HepG2 cells. These plant compounds, traditionally used to alleviate diabetes symptoms, were compared to metformin. Glucose uptake was assessed using 2-NBDG, MTT assays for cytotoxicity, Bradford protein assays, and western blotting for GLUT-1 expression. Goldenseal and berberine significantly increased glucose uptake compared to metformin (p<0.05). Berberine, goldenseal, and metformin enhanced glucose uptake by 3.4, 2, and 1.8 times respectively (p<0.001). GLUT-1 expression increased by 1.7 times with goldenseal and 1.4 times with berberine (p<0.05). The results indicate that berberine is more effective than goldenseal in improving glucose uptake, suggesting both may lower blood glucose levels in insulin resistance, and present potential therapeutic alternatives for Type 2 Diabetes.