Patent ID: 8242168

Claim:
A method of treating type 2 diabetes mellitus in mammals comprising: administering to a mammal an effective dose of compound represented by formula (I), wherein the dotted line is an optional bond; R 1 is butyl or butyryl if R 2 is hydroxyl but is butyl if R 2 is hydrogen; or R 1 and R 2 taken together are 1-butylidene optionally substituted by hydroxyl, methyl, or 3-(α,β-dimethylacrylyloxy)-pentylidenyl; X is a residue selected from the group consisting of X1, X2, X3, X4, and X5; wherein X is X2, X3 or X5 if the dotted line does not signify a bond in formula (I) above and X is X1, X4 or X5 if the dotted line signifies a bond in formula (I) above; R 3 is hydroxyl or butyryl; and n is 1 or 2 in free of pharmaceutically acceptable salt form.