| Summary: | In the present study, we explored the therapeutic potential of bioreactor-grown cell cultures of the medicinal plant species <i>Dioscorea deltoidea</i>, <i>Tribulus terrestris</i> and <i>Panax japonicus</i> to treat carbohydrate metabolism disorders (CMDs) in laboratory rats. In the adrenaline model of hyperglycemia, aqueous suspensions of cell biomass pre-administered at a dose of 100 mg dry biomass/kg significantly reduced glucose level in animal blood 1–2.5 h (<i>D. deltoidea</i> and <i>T. terrestris</i>) or 1 h (<i>P. japonicus</i>) after adrenaline hydrochloride administration. In a streptozotocin-induced model of type 2 diabetes mellitus, the cell biomass of <i>D. deltoidea</i> and <i>T. terrestris</i> acted towards normalization of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, as evidenced by a significant reduction of daily diuresis (by 39–57%), blood-glucose level (by 46–51%), blood content in urine (by 78–80%) and total cholesterol (25–36%) compared to animals without treatment. Bioactive secondary metabolites identified in the cell cultures and potentially responsible for their actions were deltoside, 25(S)-protodioscin and protodioscin in <i>D. deltoidea</i>; furostanol-type steroidal glycosides and quinic acid derivatives in <i>T. terrestris</i>; and ginsenosides and malonyl-ginsenosides in <i>P. japonicus.</i> These results evidenced for high potential of bioreactor-grown cell suspensions of these species for prevention and treatment of CMD, which requires further investigation.
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