Antidiabetic activities of a cucurbitane‑type triterpenoid compound from Momordica charantia in alloxan‑induced diabetic mice

Controlling diabetes with the aid of medicinal herbs: a critical compilation of a decade of research

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder owing to the insulin faulty production or the resistance to the action mechanism where the accumulation of glucose is the major side effect in the body in the case of diabetes. Numerous herbs with the potential of reducing glucose production along with combating the secondary ailments associated with it but >1% out of 250,000 have been pharmacologically validated. Affordability and historical usage of these herbal remedies often result in patients' preference as primary or as adjunctive to conventional therapies. Clinical trials conducted with herbs are necessary for determining the efficacy of the herbs against diabetes. Additional benefits of herbal employment include the treatment of secondary ailments in patients along with diabetes including triglyceride reduction, cholesterol level management, body mass index, and cardiovascular disease control. Any individual extract marketed as antidiabetic formulations requires clinical validation before adoption but with ongoing disease status, quick validation in protocols and testing is needed to understand, isolate and cross-verify the status of the bioactive ingredient in individual herb and the polyherb extract formulations. Standardization, characterization, long-term role and impact on the human body, efficacy status, and toxicity profile need to be addressed fully for each active ingredient before it is advanced for production. Therefore, after trials, the related regulatory bodies will be approached to confirm the safety status and efficacy of the prepared concoction.

Anti-Glucotoxicity Effect of Phytoconstituents via Inhibiting MGO-AGEs Formation and Breaking MGO-AGEs

The therapeutic benefits of phytochemicals in the treatment of various illnesses and disorders are well documented. They show significant promise for the discovery and creation of novel medications for treating a variety of human diseases. Numerous phytoconstituents have shown antibiotic, antioxidant, and wound-healing effects in the conventional system. Traditional medicines based on alkaloids, phenolics, tannins, saponins, terpenes, steroids, flavonoids, glycosides, and phytosterols have been in use for a long time and are crucial as alternative treatments. These phytochemical elements are crucial for scavenging free radicals, capturing reactive carbonyl species, changing protein glycation sites, inactivating carbohydrate hydrolases, fighting pathological conditions, and accelerating the healing of wounds. In this review, 221 research papers have been reviewed. This research sought to provide an update on the types and methods of formation of methylglyoxal-advanced glycation end products (MGO-AGEs) and molecular pathways induced by AGEs during the progression of the chronic complications of diabetes and associated diseases as well as to discuss the role of phytoconstituents in MGO scavenging and AGEs breaking. The development and commercialization of functional foods using these natural compounds can provide potential health benefits.

New insights into the bioactive polysaccharides, proteins, and triterpenoids isolated from bitter melon (Momordica charantia) and their relevance for nutraceutical and food application: A review

The recent trend in infectious diseases and chronic disorders has dramatically increased consumers' interest in functional foods. As a result, the research of bioactive ingredients with potential for nutraceutical and food application has rapidly become a topic of interest. In this optic, the plant Momordica charantia (M. charantia) has recently attracted the most attention owing to its numerous biological properties including anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancers among others. However, the current literature on M. charantia has mainly been concerned with the plant extract while little is known on the specific bioactive compounds responsible for the plant's health benefits. Hence, the present review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent research progress on bioactives isolated from M. charantia, focusing on polysaccharides, proteins, and triterpenoids. Thus, this review provides an up-to-date account of the different extraction methods used to isolate M. charantia bioactives. In addition, the structural features and biological properties are presented. Moreover, this review discusses the current and promising applications of M. charantia bioactives with relevance to the nutraceutical and food industries. The information provided in this review will serve as a theoretical basis and practical support for the formulation of products enriched with M. charantia bioactives.

Naturally-occurring carboxylic acids from traditional antidiabetic plants as potential pancreatic islet FABP3 inhibitors. A molecular docking-aided study

The antidiabetic action of traditional plants is mostly attributed to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These plants are still having some secrets, making them an attractive source that allows for investigating new drugs or uncovering precise pharmacologic antidiabetic functions of their constituents. In diabetes, which is a lipid disease, long-term exposure of pancreatic islet beta cells to fatty acids (FAs) increases basal insulin release, reduces glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, causes islet beta cell inflammation, failure and apoptosis. Pancreatic islet beta cells express fatty acid binding protein 3 (FABP3) that receives long-chain FAs and traffics them throughout different cellular compartments to be metabolized and render their effects. Inhibition of this FABP3 may retard FA metabolism and protect islet beta cells. Since FAs interact with FABPs by their carboxylic group, some traditionally-known antidiabetic plants were reviewed in the present study, searching for their components that have common features of FABP ligands, namely carboxylic group and hydrophobic tail. Many of these carboxylic acids were computationally introduced into the ligand-binding pocket of FABP3 and some of them exhibited FABP3 ligand possibilities. Among others, the naturally occurring ferulic, cleomaldeic, caffeic, sinapic, hydroxycinnamic, 4-p-coumaroylquinic, quinoline-2-carboxylic, chlorogenic, 6-hydroxykynurenic, and rosmarinic acids in many plants are promising candidates for being FABP3-specific inhibitors. The study shed light on repurposing these phyto-carboxylic acids to function as FABP inhibitors. However, more in-depth biological and pharmacological studies to broaden the understanding of this function are needed.

Momordica charantia L.-Diabetes-Related Bioactivities, Quality Control, and Safety Considerations

Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae), commonly known as bitter gourd or bitter melon, is widely cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions of the world, where its unripe fruits are eaten as a vegetable. Apart from its culinary use, M. charantia has a long history in traditional medicine, serving as stomachic, laxative or anthelmintic, and, most notably, for the treatment of diabetes and its complications. Its antidiabetic properties and its beneficial effects on blood glucose and lipid concentrations have been reported in numerous in vitro and in vivo studies, but the compounds responsible for the observed effects have not yet been adequately described. Early reports were made for charantin, a mixture of two sterol glucosides, and the polypeptide p-insulin, but their low concentrations in the fruits or their limited bioavailability cannot explain the observed therapeutic effects. Still, for many decades the search for more reasonable active principles was omitted. However, in the last years, research more and more focused on the particular cucurbitane-type triterpenoids abundant in the fruits and other parts of the plant. This mini review deals with compounds isolated from the bitter gourd and discusses their bioactivities in conjunction with eventual antidiabetic or adverse effects. Furthermore, methods for the quality control of bitter gourd fruits and preparations will be evaluated for their meaningfulness and their potential use in the standardization of commercial preparations.

Flavonoids, alkaloids and terpenoids: a new hope for the treatment of diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic syndrome characterized by a hyperglycemic state and multi-organ failure. Millions of people worldwide are suffering from this deadly disease taking a hit on their pocket and mental health in the name of its treatment. Modern medical practices with new technological advancements and discoveries have made revolutionary changes in the treatment. But, unfortunately, Glucose-lowering drugs used have many accompanying effects such as chronic vascular disease, renal malfunction, liver disease and, many skin problems. These complications have made us think about alternative treatments for diabetes with minimum or no side effects. Nowadays, in addition to modern medicine, herbal treatment has been suggested to treat diabetes mellitus. These herbal medicines contain biological macromolecules such as flavonoids, Terpenoids, glycosides, and alkaloids, which show versatile anti-diabetic effects. These phytochemicals are generally considered safe, and naturally occurring compounds have a potential role in preventing or controlling diabetes mellitus. The underlying mechanism of their anti-diabetic effects includes improvement in insulin secretion, decrease in insulin resistance, enhanced liver glycogen synthesis, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. In this review, we have focused on the mechanism of various phytochemicals targeting hyperglycemia and its underlying pathogenesis.

Exploring the inhibitory potentials of Momordica charantia bioactive compounds against Keap1-Kelch protein using computational approaches

The search for Keap1 inhibitors as potential Nrf2 activator is a way of increasing the antioxidant status of the human cellular environ. In this research, we used in silico methods to investigate Keap1-kelch inhibitory potential of Momordica charantia's bioactive compounds in order to predict their Nrf2 activating potential. ADMET profiling, physicochemical properties, molecular docking, molecular dynamics, and Molecular Mechanics-Poisson Boltzmann Surface Area (g_MMPBSA) free energy calculation studies were executed to drive home our aim. Out of all the bioactive compounds of Momordica charantia, catechin (CAT) and chlorogenic acid (CGA) were selected based on their ADMET profile, physicochemical properties, and molecular docking analysis. Molecular docking studies of CAT and CGA to Keap1 kelch domain showed that they have - 9.2 kJ/mol and - 9.1 kJ/mol binding energies respectively with CAT having four hydrogen bond interactions with Keap1 while CGA had three. Analysis after the 30 ns molecular dynamics simulation revealed that CAT and CGA were both stable, although with minimal conformational alterations at the kelch pocket of Keap1. Finally, MMPBSA calculation of the Gibbs free energy of each amino acid interaction with CAT and CGA revealed that CAT had a higher total binding energy than CGA. Therefore, the Keap1 inhibitory capacities and the molecular dynamic characters of CAT and CGA at the Kelch domain of Keap1 suggest a putative Nrf2 signaling activating prowess.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40203-021-00100-2.

The Effect of Momordica charantia in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus: A Review

In recent years, many studies of Momordica charantia (MC) in the treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM) and its complications have been reported. This article reviewed the effect and mechanism of MC against diabetes, including the results from in vitro and in vivo experiments and clinical trials. The common side effects of MC were also summarized. We hope that it might open up new ideas for further mechanism exploration and clinical application as well as provide a scientific theoretical basis for the development of drugs or foods derived from MC.

De novo assembly and Transcriptome Analysis of the Momordica charantia Seedlings Responding to methyl jasmonate using 454 pyrosequencing

Momordica charantia, a medicinal and edible species of the Cucurbitaceae family, has been widely used as a vegetable around the world. Hundreds of pharmacological compounds isolated from the M. charantia have been reported. However, the mechanism of action of the secondary metabolites has not been fully elucidated. In this study, 118,590 unigenes were gained by de novo assembly based on the raw data from high-throughput sequencing of mRNA (RNA-Sequencing) upon systemic analysis, among which, 51,860 (43.73%) could be annotated to the public sequence databases such as Nr, GO, Swiss-Prot, KEGG and KOG. The transcriptomic changes of M. charantia seedlings treated with or without methyl jasmonate (MeJA) were analyzed to identify key genes involved in MeJA treatment. Additionally, 554 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 328 up-regulated ones and 226 down-regulated genes, have been identified. Most DEGs were associated with secondary metabolism and stress responses. Meanwhile, six DEGs were further confirmed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis, resulting in similar expression patterns as compared to those of RNA-Sequencing. Nine significantly enriched pathways including 11 DEGs were identified to be possibly involved in the MeJA-responsive biosynthesis of secondary metabolites based on the transcriptome sequencing analysis. Among them, 4 DEGs, encoding two peroxidases, one cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase and one hypothetical protein Csa, might play important roles in the process of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. In addition, 9 transcription factors (TFs) were also detected as DEGs from 1899 unigenes. Most of them up-regulated by MeJA treatment might be potentially involved in regulating secondary metabolites biosynthesis. This work is the first research on the large-scale assessment of M. charantia transcriptomic resources and the analysis of DEGs and TFs in secondary metabolites biosynthesis of M. charantia seedings treated with or without MeJA, which will be conducive to the further applications of M. charantia.

Bioactive Compounds in Anti-Diabetic Plants: From Herbal Medicine to Modern Drug Discovery

Natural products, including organisms (plants, animals, or microorganisms) have been shown to possess health benefits for animals and humans. According to the estimation of the World Health Organization, in developing countries, 80% of the population has still depended on traditional medicines or folk medicines which are mostly prepared from the plant for prevention or treatment diseases. Traditional medicine from plant extracts has proved to be more affordable, clinically effective and relatively less adverse effects than modern drugs. Literature shows that the attention on the application of phytochemical constituents of medicinal plants in the pharmaceutical industry has increased significantly. Plant-derived secondary metabolites are small molecules or macromolecules biosynthesized in plants including steroids, alkaloids, phenolic, lignans, carbohydrates and glycosides, etc. that possess a diversity of biological properties beneficial to humans, such as their antiallergic, anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and antioxidant activities Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease result of metabolic disorders in pancreas β-cells that have hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia can be caused by a deficiency of insulin production by pancreatic (Type 1 diabetes mellitus) or insufficiency of insulin production in the face of insulin resistance (Type 2 diabetes mellitus). The current medications of diabetes mellitus focus on controlling and lowering blood glucose levels in the vessel to a normal level. However, most modern drugs have many side effects causing some serious medical problems during a period of treating. Therefore, traditional medicines have been used for a long time and play an important role as alternative medicines. Moreover, during the past few years, some of the new bioactive drugs isolated from plants showed antidiabetic activity with more efficacy than oral hypoglycemic agents used in clinical therapy. Traditional medicine performed a good clinical practice and is showing a bright future in the therapy of diabetes mellitus. World Health Organization has pointed out this prevention of diabetes and its complications is not only a major challenge for the future, but essential if health for all is to be attained. Therefore, this paper briefly reviews active compounds, and pharmacological effects of some popular plants which have been widely used in diabetic treatment. Morphological data from V-herb database of each species was also included for plant identification.

Selection and validation of appropriate reference genes for real-time quantitative PCR analysis in Momordica charantia

Real time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR) has been attracting more attention for its high sensitivity in gene expression analysis. Given the widely use of RT-qPCR in normalization, it is playing a pivotal role for seeking suitable reference genes in different species. In current work, 12 candidate reference genes including Actin 2 (ACT2), Cyclophilin 2 (CYP2), Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase C2 (GAPC2), Elongation factor 1-α (EF1-α), Nuclear cap binding protein 20 (NCBP20), Serine/threonine-protein phosphatase PP2A (PP2A), Polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1 (PTBP1), SAND family protein (SNAD), TIP41-like protein (TIP41), Tubulin beta-6 (TUB6), Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme 9 (UBC9) and Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphatedehydrogenase (GAPDH) were screened from the transcriptome datasets of M. charantia. Afterwards, GeNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper algorithms were applied to assess the expression stability of these 12 genes under different abiotic stresses including drought, cold, high-salt, hormone, UV, oxidative and metal stress. The results indicated that 12 selected genes exhibited various stability across the samples under different external stress conditions, but TIP41, PTBP1 and PP2A presented high stability among all the reference genes. To validate the suitability of the identified reference genes, the results of hormone subset were compared with RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data, and the relative abundance of Ascorbate peroxidase 1（APX1）was used to confirm the reliability of the results. This work assesses the stability of reference genes in M. charantia under different abiotic stress conditions, which will be beneficent for accurate normalization of target genes in M. charantia.

Effects of phytochemicals against diabetes

Diabetes mellitus, a chronic metabolic disease, characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose and insufficiency in production and action of insulin is the seventh leading cause of death worldwide. Numerous studies have shown that diabetes mellitus is associated with increased formation of free radicals and decrease in antioxidant potential. In the patients with diabetes mellitus, the levels of antioxidant parameters are found to decrease, hence in many studies phytochemicals which can exert antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities, are suggested to improve the insulin sensitivity. Several phytoactive compounds such as flavonoids, lignans, prophenylphenols, are also found to combat the complications of diabetes. This chapter mainly focuses on the relationship between diabetes mellitus and preventive roles of various phytochemicals on diabetes via their antioxidant properties.

Cucurbitane triterpenoids from the fruit of Momordica charantia L. and their anti-hepatic fibrosis and anti-hepatoma activities

Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae) is a popular vegetable and traditional folk medicine, that has been used for hundreds of years. In this study, three undescribed cucurbitane-type triterpene glycosides furpyronecucurbitane A, goyaglycoside I and charantagenin F along with nine known compounds were isolated from the immature fruit of Momordica charantia L. Their structures were identified on the basis of extensive 1D, 2D NMR and HRESIMS spectroscopy analysis. All isolated compounds were examined for their anti-hepatic fibrosis activity against murine hepatic stellate cells (t-HSC/Cl-6) and anti-hepatoma activity against two kinds of liver cancer cell lines (HepG2 and Hep3B). Among them, karaviloside III exhibited excellent inhibitory activity against activated t-HSC/Cl-6 cells and cytotoxic activity against Hep3B and HepG2 cell lines with IC₅₀ values of 3.74 ± 0.13, 16.68 ± 2.07 and 4.12 ± 0.36 μM, respectively, which may potential to be developed as a chemotherapy agent for treatment hepatic fibrosis or carcinoma and protection against both diseases.

Administration of Momordica charantia Enhances the Neuroprotection and Reduces the Side Effects of LiCl in the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

Recently, the use of natural food supplements to reduce the side effects of chemical compounds used for the treatment of various diseases has become popular. Lithium chloride (LiCl) has some protective effects in neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, its toxic effects on various systems and some relevant interactions with other drugs limit its broader use in clinical practice. In this study, we investigated the in vitro and in vivo pharmacological functions of LiCl combined with Momordica charantia (MC) in the treatment of AD. The in vitro results show that the order of the neuroprotective effect is MC5, MC3, MC2, and MC5523 under hyperglycemia or tau hyperphosphorylation. Therefore, MC5523 (80 mg/kg; oral gavage) and/or LiCl (141.3 mg/kg; intraperitoneal injection) were applied to ovariectomized (OVX) 3×Tg-AD female and C57BL/6J (B6) male mice that received intracerebroventricular injections of streptozotocin (icv-STZ, 3 mg/kg) for 28 days. We found that the combined treatment not only increased the survival rate by reducing hepatotoxicity but also increased neuroprotection associated with anti-gliosis in the icv-STZ OVX 3×Tg-AD mice. Furthermore, the cotreatment with MC5523 and LiCl prevented memory deficits associated with reduced neuronal loss, gliosis, oligomeric Aβ level, and tau hyperphosphorylation and increased the expression levels of synaptic-related protein and pS9-GSK3β (inactive form) in the icv-STZ B6 mice. Therefore, MC5523 combined with LiCl could be a potential strategy for the treatment of AD.

Protective effect of triterpenes against diabetes-induced β-cell damage: An overview of in vitro and in vivo studies

Accumulative evidence shows that chronic hyperglycaemia is a major factor implicated in the development of pancreatic β-cell dysfunction in diabetic patients. Furthermore, most of these patients display impaired insulin signalling that is responsible for accelerated pancreatic β-cell damage. Indeed, prominent pathways involved in glucose metabolism such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/ protein kinase B (PI3-K/AKT) and 5' AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) are impaired in an insulin resistant state. The impairment of this pathway is associated with over production of reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory factors that supersede pancreatic β-cell damage. Although several antidiabetic drugs can improve β-cell function by modulating key regulators such as PI3-K/AKT and AMPK, evidence of their β-cell regenerative and protective effect is scanty. As a result, there has been continued exploration of novel antidiabetic therapeutics with abundant antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties that are essential in protecting against β-cell damage. Such therapies include triterpenes, which have displayed robust effects to improve glycaemic tolerance, insulin secretion, and pancreatic β-cell function. This review summarises most relevant effects of various triterpenes on improving pancreatic β-cell function in both in vitro and in vivo experimental models. A special focus falls on studies reporting on the ameliorative properties of these compounds against insulin resistance, oxidative stress and inflammation, the well-known factors involved in hyperglycaemia associated tissue damage.

Colocynthenins A-D, Ring-A seco-Cucurbitane Triterpenoids from the Fruits of Citrullus colocynthis

Four ring-A seco-cucurbitane triterpenoids, colocynthenins A-D (1-4), together with seven known cucurbitane triterpenoids (5-11), were isolated from the fruits of Citrullus colocynthis. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated based on spectroscopic analysis and quantum chemical ECD calculations. Compound 1 possesses an unprecedented 2,11-lactone moiety, while compound 2 is the first reported cucurbitane triterpenoid with an unusual cyano group. Compounds 1 and 3 showed acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities in a standard in vitro assay, with IC₅₀ values of 2.6 and 3.1 μM, respectively.

Molecular targets and mechanisms of bioactive peptides against metabolic syndromes

Bioactive peptides are present in all living organisms and have critical roles ranging from protection against infection as the key element of innate immunity, regulating blood pressure and glucose levels, to reducing signs of ageing by killing senescent cells. Bioactive peptides are also encrypted within food protein sequences that can be released during proteolysis or food processing. These specific food protein fragments are reported to have potential for improving human health and preventing metabolic diseases through their impact on inflammation, blood pressure, obesity, and type-2 diabetes. This review mainly focuses on the molecular targets and the underlying mechanisms of bioactive peptides against various metabolic syndromes including inflammation, high blood pressure, obesity, and type-2 diabetes, to provide new insights and perspectives on the potential of bioactive peptides for management of metabolic syndromes.

The Effect of Sanggua Drink Extract on Insulin Resistance through the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway

Treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using thiazolidinediones and biguanides can present several challenges for patients. Sanggua Drink (SGD) is a commonly used agent in traditional Chinese medicine, and it consists of Folium Mori, Fructus Momordicae Charantiae, Radix Puerariae Lobatae, and Rhizoma Dioscorea. The hypoglycemic effects and mechanisms of SGD extracts on insulin resistance in diabetic rats were investigated. SGD (1.24 g/kg orally) was verified in T2DM rats induced by a high-fat diet and streptozotocin. The results showed that SGD treatment was observed to reduce fasting blood glucose, water and food intake, total cholesterol triglycerides, and LDL, OGTT, FINS, HOMA-IR, GHb, and MDA and increase hepatic glycogen, HDL, SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px in diabetic rats. Simultaneously, SGD treatment by T2DM showed significantly ameliorated pathological changes and reduced inflammation in the pancreas. Treatment was also observed to increase gene and protein expressions of InsR, IRS-2, PI3K, AKT, and Glut4 in the livers of diabetic treated rats. These results suggest that SGD extracts have hypoglycemic properties and may alleviate insulin resistance in T2DM rats through the PI3K/AKT pathway. Therefore, SGD appears to be a promising insulin sensitizer.

Effectiveness of Antihyperglycemic Effect of Momordica charantia: Implication of T-Cell Cytokines

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

We investigate the effect of antidiabetic Momordica charantia fruit juice on T cells' differentiation, through plasmatic cytokine quantification in type 1 diabetic rats (T1D).

METHODS

Male Wistar rats were rendered diabetic by the injection of five low doses of streptozotocin. Then, animals were treated with Momordica charantia fruit juice for 28 consecutive days. Plasmatic levels of Th1 interleukin- (IL-) 02 and interferon- (IFN-) γ, Th2 (IL-4), and regulatory (IL-10) cytokines were determined in rats.

RESULTS

We observed that fruit juice induced a significant decrease in blood glucose of T1D rats. Besides, the concentrations of IL-2 and IFN-γ significantly increased while those of IL-4 and IL-10 diminished in diabetic rats compared to control animals. Interestingly, after treatment with Momordica charantia fruit juice, IL-4 and IL-10 levels significantly increased in diabetic rats, while IL-2 and IFN-γ concentrations decreased, suggesting a Th2 phenotype in these animals. Phytochemical analysis of the fruit juice revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, and coumarins, compounds which possess antioxidant activity.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that Momordica charantia fruit juice, by lowering the hyperglycemia, induced a shift of proinflammatory Th1 phenotype in T1D rats towards a favorable anti-inflammatory Th2 status. These effects might be due to the presence of antioxidant compounds in the juice and confirms the use of this plant in the treatment of autoimmune type 1 diabetes.

Antioxidant and glucose metabolizing potential of edible insect, Brachytrupes orientalis via modulating Nrf2/AMPK/GLUT4 signaling pathway

Brachytrupes orientalis (Gryllidae) is a common edible insect species eaten by the different tribes of North East India. This study investigated the potentiality of Brachytrupes orientalis extracts in different solvent hydro-alcoholic (AEBO), hexane (HEBO) and ethyl acetate (EEBO) on glucose utilization and cell viability in high glucose (HG) treated myotubes. It has been observed that AEBO supplementation significantly increased the glucose utilization against HG exposure; however, treatment HEBO and EEBO have no significant effect. AEBO also increased the intercellular glucose-6-phosphate level and the protein expression of both phospho-AMPK and GLUT4 in HG treated myotubes in a dose dependent manner. Furthermore, supplementation with AEBO decreased the intercellular ROS production, lipid peroxidation, and up-regulated the protein expression of Nrf2 and GST. Chromatography and Spectroscopic analyses of AEBO also suggest that Ursolic acid may be one of the bioactive principles with rich potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium content.

Evidence of Immunosuppressive and Th2 Immune Polarizing Effects of Antidiabetic Momordica charantia Fruit Juice

The mechanism of action of the antidiabetic capacity of Momordica charantia is still under investigation. Here, we assessed phytochemical compositions, antioxidant activity, and effects of total and filtered fruit and leafy stem juices of Momordica charantia on human T cell proliferation and differentiation through quantification of Th1/Th2 cytokines. In the absence of stimulation, total fruit and leafy stem juices induced significant T cell proliferation. Under PHA stimulation, both juices potentiated plant-induced T cell proliferation. However, the filtered fruit and leafy stem juices significantly inhibited PHA-stimulated T cell proliferation, while neither juice influenced T cell proliferation. Moreover, total and filtered fruit juice increased IL-4 secretion, while total and filtered leafy stem juice enhanced IFN-γ production. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, anthocyans, steroids, and triterpenoids in both juices. Alkaloids, quinone derivatives, cardenolides, and cyanogenic derivatives were undetectable. The saponins present in total juices were undetectable after filtration. Moreover, both juices had appreciable antioxidant capacity. Our study supports the type 1 antidiabetic effect of filtered fruit juice of M. charantia which may be related to its immunosuppressive and T-helper 2 cell inducing capacities. Due to their immune-stimulatory activities and their ability to increase T-helper 1 cell cytokines, total fruit and leafy stem juices may serve in the treatment of immunodeficiency and certain infections.

An Overview of Herbal Products and Secondary Metabolites Used for Management of Type Two Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a common effect of uncontrolled high blood sugar and it is associated with long-term damage, dysfunction, and failure of various organs. In the adult population, the global prevalence of diabetes has nearly doubled since 1980. Without effective prevention and management programs, the continuing significant rise in diabetes will have grave consequences on the health and lifespan of the world population, and also on the world economy. Supplements can be used to correct nutritional deficiencies or to maintain an adequate intake of certain nutrients. These are often used as treatments for diabetes, sometimes because they have lower costs, or are more accessible or "natural" compared to prescribed medications. Several vitamins, minerals, botanicals, and secondary metabolites have been reported to elicit beneficial effects in hypoglycemic actions in vivo and in vitro; however, the data remain conflicting. Many pharmaceuticals commonly used today are structurally derived from natural compounds from traditional medicinal plants. Botanicals that are most frequently used to help manage blood glucose include: bitter melon (Momordica charantia), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum), gurmar (Gymnema sylvestre), ivy gourd (Coccinia indica), nopal (Opuntia spp.), ginseng, Russian tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus), cinnamon (Cinnamomum cassia), psyllium (Plantago ovata), and garlic (Allium sativum). In majority of the herbal products and secondary metabolites used in treating diabetes, the mechanisms of action involve regulation of insulin signaling pathways, translocation of GLUT-4 receptor and/or activation the PPARγ. Several flavonoids inhibit glucose absorption by inhibiting intestinal α-amylase and α-glucosidase. In-depth studies to validate the efficacies and safeties of extracts of these traditional medicinal plants are needed, and large, well designed, clinical studies need to be carried out before the use of such preparations can be recommended for treatment and/or prevention of diabetes. The main focus of this review is to describe what we know to date of the active compounds in these, along with their glucose-lowering mechanisms, which are either through insulin-mimicking activity or enhanced glucose uptake.