Intake of Diacylglycerols and the Fasting Insulin and Glucose Concentrations: A Meta-Analysis of 5 Randomized Controlled Studies

ABSTRACT

Diacylglycerol (DAG) supplementation has been shown to be associated with the health improvement of patients with diabetes mellitus, although this efficacy is uncertain. We quantitatively examined the effect of dietary DAG on fasting serum glucose and insulin concentrations by conducting a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Potential papers were initially searched from electronic databases of Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library. Inclusion criteria required the trial to be randomized, with triacylglycerol (TAG) controlled with fasting serum glucose or insulin concentration as one of the end points. Information was extracted independently by two reviewers and the effect of DAG was examined using Review Manager 4.2. Results showed that DAG reduced fasting serum insulin concentration significantly compared with TAG (weighted mean difference [WMD] = −8.23 pmol/l; 95% confidence interval [CI], −15.17 to −1.28 pmol/l; p = 0.02). In addition, DAG supplementation reduced fasting serum glucose concentration greatly (WMD = −0.10 mmol/l; 95% CI, −0.24 to 0.04 mmol/l; p = 0.18), and this effect was significantly correlated with the duration of intervention (fasting serum glucose concentration = 1.075–0.012; duration of intervention; p = 0.04; r = 0.90). In conclusion, DAG supplementation improved fasting serum glucose and insulin concentrations compared with TAG, and the effect on glucose was significantly correlated with the duration of intervention.

KEYWORDS:

• Diacylglycerols
• insulin
• glucose
• meta-analysis
• diabetes

Conflict of interest

The lead author affirms that this manuscript is an honest, accurate, and transparent account of the study being reported; that no important aspects of the study have been omitted; and that any discrepancies from the study as planned have been explained. The reporting of this work is compliant with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Acknowledgment

This research was financially supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31401487), Shandong Provincial Major Projects of Science and Technology (2015ZDZX05005), and the Agricultural Scientific and Technological Innovation Project of Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CXGC2016B16).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, (31401487). Shandong Provincial Major Projects of Science and Technology, (2015ZDZX05005). Agricultural Scientific and Technological Innovation Project of Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, (CXGC2016B16).