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Review
. 2024 Apr 16;10(9):e29718.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29718. eCollection 2024 May 15.

Clinical applications and mechanism insights of natural flavonoids against type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abdelhakim Bouyahya  1   2 , Abdelaali Balahbib  3 , Asaad Khalid  4   5 , Hafiz A Makeen  6 , Hassan A Alhazmi  4   7 , Mohammed Albratty  7 , Andi Hermansyah  2 , Long Chiau Ming  2   8   9 , Khang Wen Goh  10 , Nasreddine El Omari  11
Affiliations
Review

Clinical applications and mechanism insights of natural flavonoids against type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abdelhakim Bouyahya et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

Diabetes is a complex disease that affects a large percentage of the world's population, and it is associated with several risk factors. Self-management poses a significant challenge, but natural sources have shown great potential in providing effective glucose reducing solutions. Flavonoids, a class of bioactive substances found in different natural sources including medicinal plants, have emerged as promising candidates in this regard. Indeed, several flavonoids, including apigenin, arbutin, catechins, and cyanidin, have demonstrated remarkable anti-diabetic properties. The clinical effectiveness of these flavonoids is linked to their potential to decrease blood glucose concentration and increase insulin concentration. Thus, the regulation of certain metabolic pathways such as glycolysis and neoglycogenesis has also been demonstrated. In vitro and in vivo investigations revealed different mechanisms of action related to flavonoid compounds at subcellular, cellular, and molecular levels. The main actions reside in the activation of glycolytic signaling pathways and the inhibition of signaling that promotes glucose synthesis and storage. In this review, we highlight the clinical efficiency of natural flavonoids as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying this effectiveness.

Keywords: Diabetes; Flavonoids; Mechanism of action; Medicine; Metabolic diseases; Natural products; Plant species.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Chemical structure of apigenin.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Effects of apigenin on insulin synthesis and GLUT4 function.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Protection of beta-cells by apigenin.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Chemical structure of arbutin.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Chemical structure of catechin.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Chemical structure of epicatechin.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Antidiabetic mechanisms of epicatechin.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Chemical structure of cyanidin.
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Chemical structure of delphinidin.
Fig. 10
Fig. 10
Chemical structure of hesperetin.
Fig. 11
Fig. 11
Chemical structure of hesperedin
Fig. 12
Fig. 12
Chemical structure of kaempferol.
Fig. 13
Fig. 13
Chemical structure of Luteolin).
Fig. 14
Fig. 14
Chemical structure of malvidin-3-O-glucoside.
Fig. 15
Fig. 15
Chemical structure of naringin.
Fig. 16
Fig. 16
Chemical structure of Naringenin.
Fig. 17
Fig. 17
Chemical structure of Quercitrin.
Fig. 18
Fig. 18
Chemical structure of Isoquercitrin.
Fig. 19
Fig. 19
Chemical structure of Rutin.
Fig. 20
Fig. 20
Chemical structure of Resveratrol.
Fig. 21
Fig. 21
Chemical structure of Quercetin.
Fig. 22
Fig. 22
Chemical structure of Myricetin.
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