Miglitol is an oral anti-diabetic drug that acts by inhibiting the ability of the patient to breakdown complex carbohydrates into glucose.Target: OthersMiglitol is an oral anti-diabetic drug that acts by inhibiting the ability of the patient to breakdown complex carbohydrates into glucose. It is primarily used in diabetes mellitus type 2 for establishing greater glycemic control by preventing the digestion of carbohydrates (such as disaccharides, oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides) into monosaccharides which can be absorbed by the body. Miglitol inhibits glycoside hydrolase enzymes called alpha-glucosidases. Since miglitol works by preventing digestion of carbohydrates, it lowers the degree of postprandial hyperglycemia. It must be taken at the start of main meals to have maximal effect. Its effect will depend on the amount of non-monosaccharide carbohydrates in a person's diet. Dietary supplementation with miglitol from pre-onset stage in OLETF rats delays the onset and development of diabetes and preserves the insulin secretory function of pancreatic islets [1]. Miglitol was orally administered at 40 mg/100 g of high-fat diet containing 45% kcal as fat to 12-week-old rats for 29 days, and age-matched rats without the agent were used as the respective controls [2].
References:
[1]. Fukaya, N., et al., The alpha-glucosidase inhibitor miglitol delays the development of diabetes and dysfunctional insulin secretion in pancreatic beta-cells in OLETF rats. Eur J Pharmacol, 2009. 624(1-3): p. 51-7.
[2]. Hirata, A., et al., Effect of miglitol, an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, on atherogenic outcomes in balloon-injured diabetic rats. Horm Metab Res, 2009. 41(3): p. 213-20.