Effects of Purified Vitexin and Iso-Vitexin from Mung Bean Seed Coat on Antihyperglycemic Activity and Gut Microbiota in Overweight Individuals’ Modulation

Exceeding a healthy weight significantly elevates the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes (T2DM). A commercially available singular constituent, available as either purified vitexin or iso-vitexin, has been associated with a decreased risk of T2DM, but its synergistic effect has not been reported yet. Vitexin and iso-vitexin were extracted using an ethanol-based solvent from mung bean seed coat (MBCE) and subsequently purified using preparative liquid chromatography (Prep-LC). Eleven mixture ratios of vitexin and/or iso-vitexin were determined for their antioxidant and antihyperglycemic activities. The 1:1.5 ratio of vitexin to iso-vitexin from MBCE demonstrated the most synergistic effects for enzyme inhibition and glucose uptake in HepG2 cells within an insulin-resistant system, while these ratios exhibited a significantly lower antioxidant capacity than that of each individual component. In a gut model system, the ratio of 1:1.5 (vitexin and iso-vitexin) regulated the gut microbiota composition in overweight individuals by decreasing the growth of <i>Enterobacteriaceae</i> and <i>Enterococcaceae</i>, while increasing in <i>Ruminococcaceae</i> and <i>Lachnospiraceae</i>. The application of vitexin/iso-vitexin for 24 h fermentation enhanced a high variety of abundances of 21 genera resulting in five genera of <i>Parabacteroides</i>, <i>Ruminococcus</i>, <i>Roseburia</i>, <i>Enterocloster</i>, and <i>Peptacetobacter</i>, which belonged to the phylum <i>Firmicutes</i>, exhibiting high abundant changes of more than 5%. Only two genera of Proteus and <i>Butyricicoccus</i> belonging to <i>Proteobacteria</i> and <i>Firmicutes</i> decreased. The findings suggest that these phytochemicals interactions could have synergistic effects in regulating glycemia, through changes in antihyperglycemic activity and in the gut microbiota in overweight individuals. This optimal ratio can be utilized by industries to formulate more potent functional ingredients for functional foods and to create nutraceutical supplements aimed at reducing the risk of T2DM in overweight individuals.