Pancreatic beta cell protection/regeneration with phytotherapy

Azar Hosseini,Reza Shafiee-Nick,Ahmad Ghorbani

doi:10.1590/s1984-82502015000100001

Abstract

Although currently available drugs are useful in controlling early onset complications of diabetes, serious late onset complications appear in a large number of patients. Considering the physiopathology of diabetes, preventing beta cell degeneration and stimulating the endogenous regeneration of islets will be essential approaches for the treatment of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The current review focused on phytochemicals, the antidiabetic effect of which has been proved by pancreatic beta cell protection/regeneration. Among the hundreds of plants that have been investigated for diabetes, a small fraction has shown the regenerative property and was described in this paper. Processes of pancreatic beta cell degeneration and regeneration were described. Also, the proposed mechanisms for the protective/regenerative effects of such phytochemicals and their potential side effects were discussed.

Highlights

Diabetes mellitus is still one of the most important causes of death and disability in both developed and developing countries
The results indicate that M. charantia increases the number of beta cells per islets and leads to the neoformation of islets from the pre-existing islet cells (Ahmed et al, 1998; Singh, Gupta, 2007b; Singh et al, 2008)
Development of phytochemical products with beta cell regenerative property can be a promising option for the patients who have lost their mass of functional islet cells

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Diabetes mellitus is still one of the most important causes of death and disability in both developed and developing countries. Considering the physiopathology of diabetes, preventing beta cell degeneration and stimulating the endogenous regeneration of islets will be essential approaches in treatment of diabetes. Antidiabetic effect of phytochemicals is mediated through different mechanisms such as decreasing glucose absorption from intestine, inhibiting glucose production in the liver, increasing glucose uptake by tissues, enhancing insulin secretion from beta cells, and/or increasing pancreatic tissue regeneration (Asgary et al, 2008; Kamyab et al, 2010; Jelodar, Mohsen, Shahram, 2007; Shafiee-Nick et al, 2011; Shafiee-Nick et al, 2012a). The current review focused on phytochemicals, the antidiabetic action of which has been proved, at least in part, by pancreatic beta cell protection or regeneration (Table I)

Method of literature review

Findings

CONCLUSION