Preclinical Studies of Natural Products Targeting the Gut Microbiota: Beneficial Effects on Diabetes

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a serious metabolic disease characterized by persistent hyperglycemia, with a continuously increasing morbidity and mortality. Although traditional treatments including insulin and oral hypoglycemic drugs maintain blood glucose levels within the normal range to a certain extent, there is an urgent need to develop new drugs that can effectively improve glucose metabolism and diabetes-related complications. Notably, accumulated evidence implicates that the gut microbiota is unbalanced in DM individuals and is involved in the physiological and pathological processes of this metabolic disease. In this review, we introduce the molecular mechanisms by which the gut microbiota contributes to the development of DM. Furthermore, we summarize the preclinical studies of bioactive natural products that exert antidiabetic effects by modulating the gut microbiota, aiming to expand the novel therapeutic strategies for DM prevention and management.

Therapeutic applications of gut microbes in cardiometabolic diseases: current state and perspectives

“…The underlying systematic mechanism between gut microbiota and type 2 diabetes is described in Fig. 3 (De Vadder et al 2016 ; Guo et al 2022 ; Jiang et al 2022 ; Yang et al 2021a ; Zhao et al 2022 ) (by Figdraw). Despite the diversity of gut flora, individuals with obesity, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia often exhibit low gut bacterial richness (Sun et al 2018 ).…”

Gut microbiota intervention strategies using active components from medicinal herbs to evaluate clinical efficacy of type 2 diabetes – A review

“…They are composed of many isoprene units. 185 In general and especially, terpenoids from the medicinal herbs can indeed be best suited for use in pharmacological configurations. 186 Terpenoids unearthed in medicinal herbs or dietary plants, that possess the potential to alleviate metabolic disorders through the authentication of ligand-dependent transcriptional regulators, specifically peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs).…”

“…Terpenoids are a class of organic compounds with a wide range of structures and roles. They are composed of many isoprene units 185 . In general and especially, terpenoids from the medicinal herbs can indeed be best suited for use in pharmacological configurations 186 …”

Gastrodia elata Blume extract improves high-fat diet-induced type 2 diabetes by regulating gut microbiota and bile acid profile

“…The gut microbiota is involved in bile acid metabolism, and bile acids have effects on glucose metabolism (Jiang et al, 2022). To determine whether the effects of GEBE on the gut microbiota translated into changes in bile acid profile, we profiled the bile acid composition of the mouse serum.…”