C. militaris 동충하초의 기능성을 규명하기 위하여 당대사 관련 효소인 GK, PDH 및 ACC 활성을 측정하였다. C. militaris에서 추출된 CM-A와 CM-B는 GK와 PDH 및 ACC 효소에 대하여 대조군에 비해 높은 활성을 나타냈으며, CM-B 보다는 CM-A에서 유의적으로 높은 활성 증가를 나타냈다(p < 0.05). 간세포내 당질 관련 호소의 활성은 CM-A와 CM-B 분획물의 혼합 비율에 영향을 받는 것으로 나타났는데 활성이 높은 CM-A의 비율이 커질수록유의적으로 높은 활성 증가를 나타냈다. GK와 ACC는 단일 상태의 CM-A 보다는 혼합된 상태일 때 활성이 증가하였지만, PDH는 혼합된 상태보다는 CM-A 단독일 때 가장 높은 활성을 나타냈다. 결론적으로 C. miliaris는 GK, PDH 및 ACC 등의 효소 활성을 증가시킴으로써 혈중 포도당의 상승을 억제하며 이로 인해 항당뇨 작용을 한다고 판단된다.
The present study was designed to investigate the antidiabetic effect of Cordyceps militaris on activities of hepatic glucose-regulating enzymes, such as glucokinase (GK), pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and acetyI-CoA carboxylase (ACC). We have isolated the active compounds, CM-A and CM-B from C. militaris and the extracts are under investigation to determine their mechanism of action. Hepatic GK, PDH and ACC activities were significantly (p < 0.05) increased compared with the control. Treatment with CM-A led to a rise in percentage of enzymes by 380$\%$,396$\%$ and 286$\%$, respectively, relative to control levels. CM-B were 329$\%$, 312$\%$ and 239$\%$, respectively. The increase in GK and ACC activities was linearly proportional with increased ratio of CM-A. Our findings suggest that C. militaris exerted antihyperglycemic potency, which is thought to be mediated through activation of GK, PDH and ACC enzymes related to glucose metabolism directly or indirectly and therefore C. militaris is promising as antidiabetic functional foods.
