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Review
. 2023 May 10;28(10):3996.
doi: 10.3390/molecules28103996.

Food Polyphenols and Type II Diabetes Mellitus: Pharmacology and Mechanisms

Rabia Naz  1 , Fatima Saqib  1 , Samir Awadallah  2 , Muqeet Wahid  1 , Muhammad Farhaj Latif  1 , Iram Iqbal  1 , Mohammad S Mubarak  3
Affiliations
Review

Food Polyphenols and Type II Diabetes Mellitus: Pharmacology and Mechanisms

Rabia Naz et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Type II diabetes mellitus and its related complications are growing public health problems. Many natural products present in our diet, including polyphenols, can be used in treating and managing type II diabetes mellitus and different diseases, owing to their numerous biological properties. Anthocyanins, flavonols, stilbenes, curcuminoids, hesperidin, hesperetin, naringenin, and phenolic acids are common polyphenols found in blueberries, chokeberries, sea-buckthorn, mulberries, turmeric, citrus fruits, and cereals. These compounds exhibit antidiabetic effects through different pathways. Accordingly, this review presents an overview of the most recent developments in using food polyphenols for managing and treating type II diabetes mellitus, along with various mechanisms. In addition, the present work summarizes the literature about the anti-diabetic effect of food polyphenols and evaluates their potential as complementary or alternative medicines to treat type II diabetes mellitus. Results obtained from this survey show that anthocyanins, flavonols, stilbenes, curcuminoids, and phenolic acids can manage diabetes mellitus by protecting pancreatic β-cells against glucose toxicity, promoting β-cell proliferation, reducing β-cell apoptosis, and inhibiting α-glucosidases or α-amylase. In addition, these phenolic compounds exhibit antioxidant anti-inflammatory activities, modulate carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, optimize oxidative stress, reduce insulin resistance, and stimulate the pancreas to secrete insulin. They also activate insulin signaling and inhibit digestive enzymes, regulate intestinal microbiota, improve adipose tissue metabolism, inhibit glucose absorption, and inhibit the formation of advanced glycation end products. However, insufficient data are available on the effective mechanisms necessary to manage diabetes.

Keywords: anthocyanins; catechins; curcumin; hydroxycinnamic acids; kaempferol; polyphenols; quercetin; resveratrol; type II diabetes mellitus.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The increase or decrease in different physiological factors causes hyperglycemia.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Regulation of insulin release, functions of insulin and glucagon, and effect of insulin on the healthy; regulations of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Chemical structures of polyphenols.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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