L-arabinose is a good and healthy food additive. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of L-arabinose in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) induced by exposure to a high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ). The model mice received L-arabinose at 20 and 60 mg (kg body weight [bw])⁻¹d⁻¹, metformin at 300 mg (kg bw)⁻¹d⁻¹ (positive control) or sterile water (control) via oral gavage. Compared with the model group, mice treated with L-arabinose exhibited attenuated symptoms of diabetes mellitus, including a slower rate of body weight loss, increased homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function index levels, decreased blood glucose, alleviation of steatosis, and repair of pancreatic islet cells. L-arabinose also exerted an anti-inflammatory effect and partially mitigated dyslipidemia. A 16S-rRNA sequence analysis of the gut microbiota revealed that at the phylum level, treatment with L-arabinose significantly reduced the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes due to a decreased relative abundance of Firmicutes; at the genus level, it reversed the increase in the relative abundance of Allobaculum and the decrease abundance of Oscillospira caused by exposure to an HFD and STZ. And the model mice received L-arabinose at 20 mg (kg bw)⁻¹d⁻¹ had a better effect on improving T2DM than the high-dose group supplemented L-arabinose at 60 mg (kg bw)⁻¹d⁻¹. These results strongly suggest L-arabinose as an excellent candidate supplement to prevent or treat T2DM.

Practical applications

L-arabinose, xylitol and sucralose are well-known substitutes for sucrose. L-arabinose has been reported to have beneficial effects on hyperglycemia, glycemic index, and fat accumulation. In this study, we found that low-dose (20 mg (kg bw)⁻¹d^-1) supplementation of L-arabinose significantly improved glucose intolerance and gut microbiota incoordination in T2DM caused by HFD and STZ.