What is GLP-1?
What is LPG-1? You may know us about this substance due to the technical nomenclature, but we assure you that, as we advance in the subject, you will end up understanding it more. So, without further ado, we will delve into discovering this “magic molecule”, which has the world surprised and with more benefits than expected.
What is LPG-1?
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a gut hormone whose physiological function is based on the control of blood glucose concentration. In addition, it also plays multiple roles in metabolic homeostasis after nutrient absorption.
The biological activities of GLP-1 include stimulating glucose-dependent insulin secretion along with insulin biosynthesis and inhibition of glucagon secretion. As you can infer, GLP-1 analogues improve glycemic control.
In addition to the numerous metabolic effects of GLP-1, there are also decreased gastric emptying, inhibition of food intake, increased natriuresis, and modulation of β cell proliferation in rodents.
As if all this were not enough, GLP-1 also has cardio and neuroprotective effects, decreases inflammation, apoptosis, and has implications for learning and memory, reward behavior, and the palatability of food that enters orally. GLP-1 receptor agonists, biochemically modified for increased potency and sustained action, are successfully used in clinical practice for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and several GLP-1-based pharmacotherapies are under clinical evaluation for the treatment of obesity.
Why was your discovery so important?
Since its discovery, GLP-1 has evolved into a pleiotropic hormone with a wide variety of metabolic functions that go far beyond its classic identification as an incretin hormone. The numerous beneficial effects of GLP-1 have made it a very interesting drug for treating obesity associated with diabetes, diabetes as a metabolic disease and neurodegenerative disorders. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2019.09.010
As we well know, type 2 diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease that is characterized by hyperglycemia, reduced insulin secretion and insulin resistance. If not treated properly, it can lead to serious or even fatal complications, including blindness, limb amputation, kidney failure, and cardiovascular disease.
According to data obtained from the International Diabetes Federation, approximately 537 million adults between the ages of 20 and 79 live with diabetes in the world. It sounds alarming, but the total number of people with diabetes is projected to rise to 643 million in 2030 and 783 million in 2045.
According to the same source, in Spain the number rose to 5,141,300 in 2021 and the forecasts are not encouraging, since by 2030, this figure could reach 5,576,000 people. https://idf.org/es/about-diabetes/diabetes-facts-figures/
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) emerged as a target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes due to its unique mechanism of action. GLP-1 is an endogenous incretin hormone (i.e. it is released into the bloodstream in response to nutrient intake) produced by intestinal enteroendocrine L cells. When glucose levels are elevated, GLP-1 promotes insulin secretion in the pancreas, but has minimal effect when glucose levels are normal. This glucose-dependent insulinotropic effect is particularly favorable for the treatment of diabetes because it avoids the risks of hypoglycemia, a common side effect of some antidiabetic medications, including insulin. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2018.07.009
Why is it so popular now?
GLP-1 agonists are a class of drugs that have obtained FDA and European Medicines Agency approval for the medical treatment of diabetes and for the medical management of diabetes-associated obesity. But its off-label use, (as other uses for which drugs were not specifically designed are commonly known), made a brand of the Danish laboratory Novo-Nordisk, capture the attention of the world in recent times. We are talking about Ozempic, the brand name for the GLP-1 agonist semaglutide, used by millions of people for cosmetic weight loss and which has been popularized by social networks and celebrity influence.
One study tried to analyze with Google Trends the recent search popularity of Ozempic and related GLP-1 agonists. Search popularity was assessed in terms of relative search volume over a 5-year period. The changes in searches were further compared with other GLP-1 agonists, such as Wegovy (also from Novo Nordisk) and Mounjaro (from Eli Lilly). Between March 2018 and February 2023, the term “Ozempic” grew exponentially in the United States. https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjad211
GLP-1 on glucose metabolism
GLP-1, which is also produced in the central nervous system (CNS), is predominantly generated in the brainstem, and is subsequently transported to a large number of regions of the CNS. Neuronal cells in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) can synthesize GLP-1 and it extends to the hypothalamus, some thalamic and cortical areas. Hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, which are known as pathophysiological features of type 2 diabetes, have also been shown to have a significant impact on cognitive decline. GLP-1 is thought to affect neurological and cognitive functions, as well as its regulatory effect on glucose metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsx.2018.03.002
It is also known that type 2 diabetes has been identified as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. In Alzheimer’s patients, desensitization of insulin receptors in the brain has been demonstrated, even in non-diabetic patients. Insulin acts as a growth factor in the brain and supports neuronal repair, dendritic formation and synaptogenesis, and protection against oxidative stress. Importantly, several medications have been developed to treat type 2 diabetes that resensitize insulin receptors and may be helpful in preventing neurodegenerative processes.
In this case, GLP-1 interestingly also has similar properties to insulin growth factors, and has been shown to reduce a variety of degenerative processes.
GLP-1 on neurogenerative diseases
In preclinical studies, GLP-1 and longer-duration protease-resistant analogues cross the blood-brain barrier, protect memory formation or motor activity, protect synapses and synaptic functions, enhance neurogenesis, reduce apoptosis, protect neurons from oxidative stress, and reduce plaque formation and chronic inflammatory response in the brains of mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease. Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, stroke, and other degenerative diseases.
Based on the extensive evidence, several clinical trials are currently underway, testing liraglutide and exendin-4 in patients with Alzheimer’s Disease and Parkinson’s Disease, therefore, GLP-1 analogues hold great promise as a novel treatment for the above-mentioned and other neurodegenerative diseases. https://doi.org/10.2165/11635890-000000000-00000
GLP-1, Active Berberine and Reducose®
Active Berberine is a dietary supplement from the Salengei Laboratory that combines extracts of Indian barberry (Berberis aristata) and white mulberry (Reducose®), along with chromium and vitamin E, designed to maintain normal blood glucose levels and improve metabolic health. Reducose® contains iminosugars such as deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), which inhibits enzymes responsible for carbohydrate digestion.
In a study conducted in collaboration with Nestlé Health Science, the effects of Reducose® on glucose, insulin, GLP-1, GIP, inflammatory markers, and gastric emptying were investigated. The results showed a significant reduction in gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP) throughout the study period and a trend towards increased GLP-1. While GIP is primarily released in the early stages of digestion, GLP-1 is released in later phases.
The beneficial effects of white mulberry leaf extract (Reducose®) in maintaining normal blood glucose levels have been demonstrated in various clinical trials. These effects are due to the iminosugar alkaloids present in the extract, which inhibit the enzymes responsible for processing carbohydrates, reducing their absorption by up to 40%. This results in a lower amount of glucose in the blood and, therefore, less insulin secretion and a decrease in the caloric intake from carbohydrates.
In this way, our Salengei Active Berberine not only contributes to the regulation of blood glucose, but also to the reduction of plasma lipid, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as to the control of hypertension. Berberine, an active component extracted from Indian barberry, has been shown in numerous studies to be effective in the treatment of metabolic syndrome, with effects comparable to those of metformin in reducing hemoglobin A1c, fasting and postprandial glucose.
Conclusion
There are moments in the history of science that mark a before and after. This is one of those cases, where the synthesis of a molecule not only provides a solution to a health issue as important as diabetes, but also generates an unplanned solution? to another health problem that has become a global epidemic, such as obesity.
Since Salengei, we have always had, and will continue to have, a vision set on the conservation and improvement of health. And that’s why our product Active Berberine. Active Berberine incorporates Reducose® as one of its ingredients. It offers not only the elevation of GLP-1 levels in the body, with all the benefits that this entails, but also adds other ingredients that act synergistically in health issues as important as diabetes and overweight.
In addition, it has been proven that berberine can inhibit Helicobacter pylori. It can effectively suppress multidrug-resistant strains, adding significant value to their therapeutic profile. Chromium picolinate present in the formulation can improve blood glucose, decrease hyperinsulinemia, and cardiovascular risk factors, such as inflammation and endothelial dysfunction.
