An Outlook on Pathological Pathways of Diabetes and Molecular Mechanisms of Anti-diabetic Phytobioactives

Abstract

Background & Purpose: Diabetes is a disease that has affected many people worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 80% of humans still rely on conventional or folk medicament in developed countries. The effectiveness of herbal medicines was credited to the phytochemical components. Objective: This review aims to highlight the pathological pathways of diabetes and the antidiabetic mechanism of phytochemicals. Materials and Methods: This organized search was compiled from the databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Embase, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Google Scholar till February 2023. Results: Inflammatory and oxidative stress are mainly two examples of pathological pathways of diabetes that are explored. The reported antidiabetic phytochemicals work by increasing insulin secretion, lowering hepatic glucose output, controlling specific enzymes, and utilizing other mechanisms. For instance, studies on α-glucosidase inhibitors, modulation peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α, hypolipidaemic activity, antioxidants, inhibition of glycolytic enzymes like phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, improvement of glycosylated haemoglobin and increased expression of glucose transporters have been conducted. Conclusion: Many natural secondary metabolites (phytochemicals) have significant potential for the manufacture of marketable, new, and efficient anti-diabetic medicines which can be used for clinical purposes.