Orally administered saccharide-sequestering nanocomplex to manage carbohydrate metabolism disorders

Excessive carbohydrate intake is linked to the growing prevalence of diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and obesity. α-Glucosidases inhibitor, the only Food and Drug Administration–approved drug for limiting the absorption of polysaccharides and disaccharides, is ineffective for monosaccharides. Here, we develop a boronic acid–containing polymer nanocomplex (Nano-Poly-BA), absorbing all saccharides into nanocomplex with the diol/boronic acid molar ratio far above 1, to prevent saccharides’ absorption in the gut. The orally administered Nano-Poly-BA is nonabsorbable and nontoxic. When tested against four kinds of carbohydrates and three real-world foods (coke, blueberry jam, and porridge), Nano-Poly-BA shows remarkable after-meal blood glucose reductions in wild-type, type 1, and type 2 diabetic mouse models. In a NAFLD mouse model induced by fructose, Nano-Poly-BA shows substantial reduction of hepatic lipogenesis. In short, the orally administered saccharide-sequestering polymer nanocomplex may help prediabetic, diabetic, overweight, and even healthy people to manage sugar intake.