Evaluation of the Anti-Diabetic Activity of Some Common Herbs and Spices: Providing New Insights with Inverse Virtual Screening

Abstract

Culinary herbs and spices are widely used as a traditional medicine in the treatment of diabetes and its complications, and there are several scientific studies in the literature supporting the use of these medicinal plants. However, there is often a lack of knowledge on the bioactive compounds of these herbs and spices and their mechanisms of action. The aim of this study was to use inverse virtual screening to provide insights into the bioactive compounds of common herbs and spices, and their potential molecular mechanisms of action in the treatment of diabetes. In this study, a library of over 2300 compounds derived from 30 common herbs and spices were screened in silico with the DIA-DB web server against 18 known diabetes drug targets. Over 900 compounds from the herbs and spices library were observed to have potential anti-diabetic activity and liquorice, hops, fennel, rosemary, and fenugreek were observed to be particularly enriched with potential anti-diabetic compounds. A large percentage of the compounds were observed to be potential polypharmacological agents regulating three or more anti-diabetic drug targets and included compounds such as achillin B from yarrow, asparasaponin I from fenugreek, bisdemethoxycurcumin from turmeric, carlinoside from lemongrass, cinnamtannin B1 from cinnamon, crocin from saffron and glabridin from liquorice. The major targets identified for the herbs and spices compounds were dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4), intestinal maltase-glucoamylase (MGAM), liver receptor homolog-1 (NR5A2), pancreatic alpha-amylase (AM2A), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARA), protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 9 (PTPN9), and retinol binding protein-4 (RBP4) with over 250 compounds observed to be potential inhibitors of these particular protein targets. Only bay leaves, liquorice and thyme were found to contain compounds that could potentially regulate all 18 protein targets followed by black pepper, cumin, dill, hops and marjoram with 17 protein targets. In most cases more than one compound within a given plant could potentially regulate a particular protein target. It was observed that through this multi-compound-multi target regulation of these specific protein targets that the major anti-diabetic effects of reduced hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia of the herbs and spices could be explained. The results of this study, taken together with the known scientific literature, indicated that the anti-diabetic potential of common culinary herbs and spices was the result of the collective action of more than one bioactive compound regulating and restoring several dysregulated and interconnected diabetic biological processes.

Intake of Dietary Salicylates from Herbs and Spices among Adult Polish Omnivores and Vegans

“…Several studies demonstrate therapeutic effects of phytochemicals from herbs and spices. These effects include, among others: hypotensive effects of turmeric, star anise, saffron, chili pepper, garlic and cinnamon [ 3 , 17 ]; anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric, ginger and cinnamon [ 11 , 18 ]; antibacterial and antifungal effects of cinnamon, clove, cumin, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, turmeric and ginger [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]; antioxidant activities of clove, chili, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, oregano, sage, turmeric, marjoram, nutmeg and thyme [ 2 , 13 , 21 , 22 , 23 ]; antidiabetic properties of bay leaf, cinnamon, cumin, wormwood, fenugreek, mustard, marjoram and thyme [ 24 ]; immunomodulatory action of turmeric [ 25 ]; anti-obesity effects (including body weight and lipid-lowering effects) of carnosic acid in rosemary and sage and capsaicinoids in red chili pepper [ 26 ]; lipid-lowering effect of basil, fenugreek, curcumin, ginger, onion and garlic [ 13 ] and anti-cancer properties of cloves, black cumin, black pepper, basil, chili pepper, garlic, ginger, onion, oregano, saffron, turmeric, thyme and marjoram [ 27 , 28 ].…”

Acute and Subchronic Toxicity Profile of a Polyherbal Drug Used in Sri Lankan Traditional Medicine

“…Garcinol which is a potent antidiabetic compound is isolated from G. quaesita , and it could assist in generation of insulin-producing β cells [ 55 – 57 ]. Piperine which is the most abundant alkaloid in P. nigrum has potent antidiabetic activity and has the ability to inhibit the biotransformation process of compounds in the liver and gastrointestinal track during metabolic process [ 58 , 59 ]. Hence, piperine could preserve the important antidiabetic chemical moieties of the ingredients of this polyherbal drug by acting as a bioenhancer.…”

Nutritional Interventions: Diet Modifications, Nutritional Supplements, Complementary and Alternative Medicine

“…In addition, these patients may also have less insulin production with progressive β-cell dysfunction [39]. Therefore, diabetic patients may benefit more with plant products as these have multiple compounds that may affect multiple targets [40][41][42][43].…”

“…Flavonoids are a group of compounds that are widely found in plant products and are implicated in several health benefits including T2DM. They inhibit enzymes that breakdown glucose and protect pancreatic β-cell damage, stimulate insulin secretion, promote glucose uptake in peripheral tissues, inhibit α amylase and α glucosidase and stimulate glycogenesis [43,46,80,81]. Kaempferol inhibits hepatic inflammation, protects β cells by inhibiting apoptosis, lowers fasting glucose and improves insulin sensitivity [82][83][84].…”