Computation Screening of Multi-Target Antidiabetic Properties of Phytochemicals in Common Edible Mediterranean Plants

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease and one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide. Numerous studies support that the Mediterranean diet has preventive and treatment effects on diabetes. These effects have been attributed to the special bioactive composition of Mediterranean foods. The objective of this work was to decipher the antidiabetic activity of Mediterranean edible plant materials using the DIA-DB inverse virtual screening web server. A literature review on the antidiabetic potential of Mediterranean plants was performed and twenty plants were selected for further examination. Subsequently, the most abundant flavonoids, phenolic acids, and terpenes in plant materials were studied to predict their antidiabetic activity. Results showed that flavonoids are the most active phytochemicals as they modulate the function of 17 protein-targets and present high structural similarity with antidiabetic drugs. Their antidiabetic effects are linked with three mechanisms of action, namely (i) regulation of insulin secretion/sensitivity, (ii) regulation of glucose metabolism, and (iii) regulation of lipid metabolism. Overall, the findings can be utilized to understand the antidiabetic activity of edible Mediterranean plants pinpointing the most active phytoconstituents.

Anti-diabetic effect of a combination of black seed (Nigella sativa) and cumin (Cuminum cyminum), a two-step study from bench to bed

“…The findings showed that green cumin positively and significantly impacted serum glucose levels and lipid profile [24]. Both cumin and NS oil help to control blood sugar by reducing the amount of TNF alpha, NF-kb, IL-1, and IL-6 and increasing the level of adiponectin.…”

New Insights into the Potential Inhibitory Effects of Native Plants from Cyprus on Pathogenic Bacteria and Diabetes-Related Enzymes

“…Previous studies also support the antibacterial and carbohydrate digestive enzyme inhibitory potential of many phenolic compounds including phenolic acids, flavonoids, etc. [26][27][28]. Thus, the TPCs and TFCs of the native plants were first estimated.…”

“…Daucus carota, Echium angustifolium, Prasium majus, and Smyrnium olusatrum also contain significant amounts of phenolic compounds. In the next step, the TFCs of native plants were assessed as flavonoids are a sub-group of phenolics with potent antibacterial and antidiabetic properties [28,30]. TFC values of plant extracts were strongly affected by extraction solvent and genetic factors; their contents fluctuated between 0.1 ± 0.0 mg catechin equivalents (CE) g −1 and 314.5 ± 23.0 mg CE g −1 (Figure 2).…”

New Insights into the Research of Bioactive Compounds from Plant Origins with Nutraceutical and Pharmaceutical Potential

“…Authors founded that the flavonoids are the most active phytochemicals as they modulate the function of 17 protein targets and present a high structural similarity to antidiabetic drugs. Their antidiabetic effects are linked with three mechanisms of action, namely: (i) the regulation of insulin secretion/sensitivity, (ii) the regulation of glucose metabolism, and (iii) the regulation of lipid metabolism [ 16 ]. Molecular docking studies reveal that the Swingle can be a potential source of natural products due to its antibiotic-potentiating activity and since it is anti-SARS-CoV-2 [ 17 ].…”