Apple and kale extract tested for diabetes effects in mice
What it found
In mice fed a Western-style high-sugar, high-fat diet, an apple and kale extract improved blood glucose levels and glucose tolerance.
The extract also slowed glucose uptake in lab tests and in mouse intestinal tissue.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Blood glucose in mice
Adding the apple and kale extract to the Western-type diet significantly improved blood glucose levels in the mice.
Glucose tolerance in mice
The extract also significantly improved the oral glucose tolerance test, which measures the rise in blood glucose after a dose of glucose.
Glucose uptake in tissue
In mouse intestinal tissue studied in the lab, the extract significantly inhibited glucose uptake.
Enzyme inhibition in lab
In lab tests, the extract significantly inhibited the activity of alpha-glucosidase, an enzyme involved in breaking down carbohydrates.
What the authors conclude
“We conclude that AKE exhibits antidiabetic properties by a dual mechanism, including the inhibition of α-glucosidase and sodium-dependent glucose transporter 1 (SGLT1).”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that the apple and kale extract shows antidiabetic properties through two mechanisms: inhibiting alpha-glucosidase and inhibiting the sodium-dependent glucose transporter 1 (SGLT1).
- They say the extract has the potential to serve as a natural plant bioactive compound for dietary prevention strategies against type 2 diabetes.
How it was done
Type 2 diabetes is common and becoming more widespread, and better ways to prevent it are needed.
Mice were fed a control diet, a Western-type high-sugar, high-fat diet, or that same diet plus the apple and kale extract for 10 weeks. The researchers tracked body weight, food and energy intake, body composition, blood glucose, and the rise in blood glucose after a single dose of glucose. They also tested the extract on glucose uptake in mouse intestinal tissue and on an enzyme in lab tests.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These are animal and lab studies. They can't show what happens in people.
- The extract was tested in mice fed a Western-type diet, so results may not apply to people eating other diets.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- University of Kiel, Germany
The paper
- Title
- Antidiabetic Properties of an Apple/Kale Extract In Vitro, In Situ, and in Mice Fed a Western-Type Diet
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Schloesser A, Esatbeyoglu T, Schultheiß G, et al (2017). Antidiabetic Properties of an Apple/Kale Extract In Vitro, In Situ, and in Mice Fed a Western-Type Diet. Journal of medicinal food. doi:10.1089/jmf.2017.0019PubMed 28622482DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error