Antidiabetic activity of Pterospermum acerifolium flowers and glucose uptake potential of bioactive fraction in L6 muscle cell lines with its HPLC fingerprint

Nutraceutical potential of dietary phytochemicals in edible flowers-A review

Edible flowers have been in traditional cuisine and phytotherapy for centuries. Recently, the consumption of edible flowers has increased significantly as the phytochemicals in them are known to have numerous health benefits. Information on nutraceutical potentials and health benefits of the phytochemicals available in different varieties of edible flowers and their uses are discussed. It is found that the major groups of dietary phytochemicals in edible flowers include flavonoids, phenolic acids, and anthocyanins and they are capable of exerting antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anticancer, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective gastroprotective, and genoprotective effects. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Edible flowers are good sources of phytochemicals and possessing antioxidant, anti-inflammatory properties, anticancer, anti-diabetic, and cardio-protective properties. However, many edible flowers remain unexplored and underutilized. This review gives eye openings that more in-depth investigations need to be conducted on different edible flowers and they need to be incorporated into commercialized foods and drugs or need to be used for novel nutraceutical development to deliver the potential health benefits to consumers.

Antioxidant and antidiabetic properties of isolated fractions from methanolic extract derived from the whole plant of Cleome viscosa L

Background

Cleome viscosa is considered as an important medicinal plant extensively used in India, China, Bangladesh, and a few countries in Africa. In the present study, in vitro anti-radical and antidiabetic potential of isolated fractions of methanolic extract of C. viscosa whole plant (MeCV) has been investigated. The identification of polyphenols and their related functional groups in the bioactive fraction was categorized by using HPLC and FT-IR.

Results

The total phenolic and flavonoid contents of F-D were higher than those of F-A, F-B, and F-C. The F-D exhibited superior antioxidant capacity when compared with the remaining three fractions. However, the F-D showed the highest glucose diffusion activity over the 30 min–27 h incubation period and also inhibited both α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzyme activity. HPLC analysis revealed the presence of the two known compounds (protocatechuic acid hexoside, rutin) and six unknown compounds in the F-D. FTIR spectrum confirmed the presence of phenol group.

Conclusion

The isolated F-D obtained from MeCV displayed superior antioxidant and antidiabetic activity which indicate the presence of polyphenols in the fraction. The data findings of the present study support the traditional uses of the whole plant of C. viscosa as a promising natural source of biological medicines for oxidative stress and diabetes.

Itraconazole attenuates hepatic gluconeogenesis and promotes glucose uptake by regulating AMPK pathway

The primarily metabolic abnormality in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the defect in gluconeogenesis and glucose uptake. Itraconazole (ITCZ) is a traditional azole drug with anti-fungal and anticancer properties. However, limited attention has been directed towards the contribution of ITCZ to hepatic gluconeogenesis and glucose uptake in T2DM. The present study aimed to investigate the potential effects of ITCZ on hepatic gluconeogenesis and glucose uptake as well as the underlying mechanisms. No obvious change in cell viability was detected by MTT assay in HepG2 cells with ITCZ treatment at gradually increasing concentrations. Western blot analysis demonstrated that the phosphorylation level of 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) was significantly elevated by ITCZ treatment at ≥5 µg/ml (P<0.05). Moreover, ITCZ repressed the gluconeogenesis of HepG2 cells, as evidenced by the dose-dependently increased glycogen synthase kinase 3β phosphorylation level and a notably decreased glucose production rate (P<0.05). Simultaneously, the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ co-activator 1α, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) in HepG2 cells was reduced by ITCZ in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.001). Furthermore, a 2-deoxyglucose uptake assay revealed that the glucose uptake of HepG2 cells was notably enhanced, accompanied by the ITCZ dose-dependent upregulation of glucose transporter-4 (GLUT-4) (P<0.05). Conversely, silencing of AMPK by small interfering RNA resulted in an increase of ITCZ-reduced gluconeogenesis and inhibition of ITCZ-induced glucose uptake with relative upregulation of PEPCK and G6Pase and downregulation of GLUT4 in the presence of 50 µg/ml ITCZ (P<0.05). Overall, the results indicated that AMPK has an important role in regulating ITCZ-induced glucose uptake by stimulating GLUT4 in HepG2 cells. Therefore, ITCZ may become a promising candidate for T2DM therapy.

Anti-diabetic activity of quercetin extracted from Phyllanthus emblica L. fruit: In silico and in vivo approaches

In this study, molecular interactions of the ligands, quercetin, gallic acid, and metformin with various diabetes mellitus-related protein targets, such as glycogen phosphorylase and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, were assessed. It was revealed that quercetin possesses good binding affinity to both targets. Quercetin is a major constituent of methanolic extracts of Phyllanthus emblica fruit. The antihyperglycemic effect of quercetin in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats was examined. The isolated quercetin administered at a dose of 75 mg/kg body weight produced a maximum decrease of 14.78% in blood glucose levels in the diabetic rats after 7 days of treatment. Furthermore, quercetin doses of 50 and 75 mg/kg were shown to significantly improve the profiles of triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, very-low-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and total cholesterol at the end of the study in STZ-induced diabetic rats. The administration of quercetin (25, 50, and 75 mg/kg body weight) daily for 28 days in STZ-induced diabetic rats resulted in a significant decrease in blood glucose and urine sugar levels, with a considerable rise in plasma insulin and hemoglobin levels. Therefore, quercetin is a potential drug with antidiabetic and antihyperglycemic action mediated by changes in the levels of glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides as indicated by in silico and in vivo studies.

Applicability of Isolates and Fractions of Plant Extracts in Murine Models in Type II Diabetes: A Systematic Review

Type II diabetes mellitus is one of the most common public health problems worldwide. Its increasing prevalence in several countries and the difficult metabolic control of individuals with the disease justify studying strategies for primary prevention. The population has sought alternative and cheaper ways to treat the disease, including the use of plants considered medicinal by the population. In this study, we carried out a systematic review on the applicability of isolates and fractions of plant extracts in animal models in type II diabetes. A literature search was performed in MEDLINE/PubMed and Scopus databases. Studies using other experimental animals (horses, rabbits, and monkeys) and humans as well as articles in Chinese, German, and Russian were excluded. We assessed the quality of the studies included by using the criteria described in the ARRIVE guidelines. In general, the animals that received fractions or isolates presented reduced blood glucose levels, normalization of body weight and plasma insulin levels, and reduced total triglycerides and cholesterol. In addition, we observed wide variation among the analyzed parameters, which hindered comparison between the studies found. In further studies, standardized reports and experimental design would help to establish comparable study groups and advance the overall knowledge, thus facilitating translatability from animal data to human clinical conditions.