Abstract
Metabolic diseases have become major public health issues worldwide. Searching for effective drugs for treating metabolic diseases from natural compounds has attracted increasing attention. Quercetin, an important natural flavonoid, is extensively present in fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants. Due to its potentially beneficial effects on human health, quercetin has become the focus of medicinal attention. In this review, we provide a timely and comprehensive summary of the pharmacological advances and clinical data of quercetin in the treatment of three metabolic diseases, including diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Accumulating evidences obtained from animal experiments prove that quercetin has beneficial effects on these three diseases. It can promote insulin secretion, improve insulin resistance, lower blood lipid levels, inhibit inflammation and oxidative stress, alleviate hepatic lipid accumulation, and regulate gut microbiota disorders in animal models. However, human clinical studies on the effects of quercetin in diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and NAFLD remain scarce. More clinical trials with larger sample sizes and longer trial durations are needed to verify its true effectiveness in human subjects. Moreover, another important issue that needs to be resolved in future research is to improve the bioavailability of quercetin. This review may provide valuable information for the basic research, drug development, and clinical application of quercetin in the treatment of metabolic diseases.
Highlights
Metabolic diseases encompass a constellation of maladies characterized by disruption of normal metabolism, involving the processing or transport of proteins, carbohydrates, or lipids [1]
A high-fat diet (HFD) or poloxamer-407 (P-407) can cause abnormal lipoprotein metabolism and lead to hyperlipidemia, which is characterized by elevated triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), while the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is decreased [4]
The results demonstrated that quercetin taken for 12 weeks could effectively reduce serum TG and cholesterol levels elevated by high-fat diet [97]
Summary
Metabolic diseases encompass a constellation of maladies characterized by disruption of normal metabolism, involving the processing or transport of proteins (amino acids), carbohydrates (sugars and starches), or lipids (fatty acids) [1]. Phytotherapy has been valued in diverse traditional cultures and it is believed that natural products are more economical and safer than chemical products [8] Because of their therapeutic properties and safety, natural compounds from vegetables, fruits, or medicinal plants are widely used in the prevention or/and treatment of diseases. Quercetin has received widespread attention due to its good potential in the treatment of metabolic diseases It has a variety of pharmacological activities, such as hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, cardiovascular protecting, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and hepatoprotective effects [10,11,12]. Some clinical trials have reported its beneficial effects on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hyperlipidemia, and NAFLD [13,14,15]. We provide a timely and comprehensive overview of the pharmacological advances and clinical evidence of quercetin in the treatment of three metabolic diseases (diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and NAFLD). The information may provide an important reference for the future research and development of quercetin
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