Ilexgenin A Obtained fromIlex hainanensisMerr. Improves Diet-Induced Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Rats

Recent advances in anti-inflammation via AMPK activation

Inflammation is a complex physiological phenomenon, which is the body's defensive response, but abnormal inflammation can have adverse effects, and many diseases are related to the inflammatory response. AMPK, as a key sensor of cellular energy status, plays a crucial role in regulating cellular energy homeostasis and glycolipid metabolism. In recent years, the anti-inflammation effect of AMPK and related signalling cascade has begun to enter everyone's field of vision - not least the impact on metabolic diseases. A great number of studies have shown that anti-inflammatory drugs work through AMPK and related pathways. Herein, this article summarises recent advances in compounds that show anti-inflammatory effects by activating AMPK and attempts to comment on them.

A UPLC-MS/MS method for simultaneous quantification of pairs of oleanene- and ursane-type triterpenoid saponins and their major metabolites in mice plasma and its application to a comparative pharmacokinetic study

Ilexhainanoside D (IhD) and Ilexsaponin A1 (IsA) are a pair of oleanene- and ursane-type triterpenoid saponins, which are also the main bioactive pharmaceutical ingredients of Ilex hainanensis Merr. with great potential to treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The pharmacokinetics of four representative triterpenoids in mice were investigated in this study, which were IhD, IsA and their major metabolites 3β, 19α-dihydroxyolean-12-ene-24, 28-dioic acid (ID) and Ilexgenin A (IA). A sensitive and accurate UPLC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantitative determination of IhD, IsA, ID and IA in control and NAFLD mice plasma after oral administration of the total saponins of I. hainanensis (the contents of IhD and IsA were 41.6% and 54.4%, respectively). The results revealed that the pharmacokinetic behaviors could be changed in NAFLD mice compared with control mice. The area under the plasma drug concentration-time curve and maximum plasma concentrations of IhD and IsA were greatly decreased in the NAFLD mice. However, the main residence time of ID and IA were greatly increased in the NAFLD mice. The results revealed that this method could be used to analyze two pairs of triterpenoid isomers in biological samples.

Inhibition of lipolysis by ilexgenin A via AMPK activation contributes to the prevention of hepatic insulin resistance

Adipose dysfunction links tightly to hepatic insulin resistance and gluconeogenesis. Ilexgenin A is reported with the ability to regulate lipid profile and protect the liver against high fat diet (HFD) -induced impairment. Here, we propose that ilexgenin A ameliorates hepatic insulin signaling and gluconeogenesis by regulating lipolysis in white adipose tissue (WAT). Pyruvate tolerance test and biochemical analysis coupled with the ex vivo siRNA knockdown and co-culture studies demonstrate that ilexgenin A suppresses inflammation-associated lipolysis in epididymal fat pad via 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation, thus inhibits diacylglycerol (DAG) accumulation and protein kinase C ε (PKCε) translocation in liver, leading to the improvement of insulin sensitivity and hepatic glucose production. These findings suggest that the relationship between adipose function and hepatic insulin action may be targeted by natural bioactive components for the potential treatment of hepatic insulin resistance related disorders.

Antidiabetic plants improving insulin sensitivity

BACKGROUND

Globally, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing at an alarming rate. This chronic pathology gravely troubled the human health and quality of life. Both insulin deficiency and insulin resistance are involved in the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus. Moreover, insulin resistance is being diagnosed nowadays in a growing population of diabetic and obese patients, especially in industrialized societies. There are lots of conventional agents available to control and to treat diabetes, but total recovery from this disorder has not been reported up to this date. Plants provided a potential source of hypoglycemic drugs and are widely used in several traditional systems of medicine to prevent diabetes. A few reviews with less attention paid to mechanisms of action have been published on antidiabetic plants.

OBJECTIVES

The present review focuses on the various plants that have been reported to be effective in improving insulin sensitivity associated with diabetes.

KEY FINDINGS

In this work, an updated systematic review of the published literature has been conducted to review the antidiabetic plants improving insulin sensitivity and 111 medicinal plants have been reported to have a beneficial effect on insulin sensitivity using several in-vitro and in-vivo animal models of diabetes.

CONCLUSION

The different metabolic and cellular effects of the antidiabetic plants improving insulin sensitivity are reported indicating the important role of medicinal plants as potential alternative or complementary use in controlling insulin resistance associated with diabetes mellitus.