Review

. 2024 Jun 5;17(6):736.

doi: 10.3390/ph17060736.

Potential Role of Phytochemicals as Glucagon-like Peptide 1 Receptor (GLP-1R) Agonists in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus

Julianah Ore Abiola^{1

2

3}, Ayoola Abidemi Oluyemi³, Olajumoke Tolulope Idowu⁴, Oluwatoyin Mary Oyinloye⁵, Chukwudi Sunday Ubah⁶, Olutunmise Victoria Owolabi⁷, Oluwatobi T Somade^{1

8}, Sunday Amos Onikanni^{1

9}, Basiru Olaitan Ajiboye^{3

10}, Foluso Oluwagbemiga Osunsanmi¹¹, Oyekanmi Nash², Olaposi Idowu Omotuyi^{3

12}, Babatunji Emmanuel Oyinloye^{1

3

11}

Affiliations

¹ Phytomedicine, Biochemical Toxicology and Biotechnology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, College of Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti 360001, Nigeria.
² Center for Genomics Research and Innovation, National Biotechnology Development Agency, Abuja 09004, Nigeria.
³ Institute of Drug Research and Development, S.E. Bogoro Center, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti 360001, Nigeria.
⁴ Industrial Chemistry Unit, Department of Chemical Sciences, College of Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti 360001, Nigeria.
⁵ Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, Faculty of Education, University of Zululand, Kwadlangezwa 3886, South Africa.
⁶ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19121, USA.
⁷ Medical Biochemistry Unit, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti 360001, Nigeria.
⁸ Department of Biochemistry, College of Biosciences, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta 111101, Nigeria.
⁹ College of Medicine, Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
¹⁰ Phytomedicine and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Oye-Ekiti 371104, Nigeria.
¹¹ Biotechnology and Structural Biology (BSB) Group, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, Kwadlangezwa 3886, South Africa.
¹² Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti 360001, Nigeria.

PMID: 38931402
PMCID: PMC11206448
DOI: 10.3390/ph17060736

Review

Potential Role of Phytochemicals as Glucagon-like Peptide 1 Receptor (GLP-1R) Agonists in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus

Julianah Ore Abiola et al. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2024.

. 2024 Jun 5;17(6):736.

doi: 10.3390/ph17060736.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Phytomedicine, Biochemical Toxicology and Biotechnology Research Laboratories, Department of Biochemistry, College of Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti 360001, Nigeria.
² Center for Genomics Research and Innovation, National Biotechnology Development Agency, Abuja 09004, Nigeria.
³ Institute of Drug Research and Development, S.E. Bogoro Center, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti 360001, Nigeria.
⁴ Industrial Chemistry Unit, Department of Chemical Sciences, College of Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti 360001, Nigeria.
⁵ Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, Faculty of Education, University of Zululand, Kwadlangezwa 3886, South Africa.
⁶ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19121, USA.
⁷ Medical Biochemistry Unit, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti 360001, Nigeria.
⁸ Department of Biochemistry, College of Biosciences, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta 111101, Nigeria.
⁹ College of Medicine, Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
¹⁰ Phytomedicine and Molecular Toxicology Research Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Oye-Ekiti 371104, Nigeria.
¹¹ Biotechnology and Structural Biology (BSB) Group, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Zululand, Kwadlangezwa 3886, South Africa.
¹² Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti 360001, Nigeria.

PMID: 38931402
PMCID: PMC11206448
DOI: 10.3390/ph17060736

Abstract

Currently, there is no known cure for diabetes. Different pharmaceutical therapies have been approved for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), some are in clinical trials and they have been classified according to their route or mechanism of action. Insulin types, sulfonylureas, biguanides, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, thiazolidinediones, meglitinides, sodium-glucose cotransporter type 2 inhibitors, and incretin-dependent therapies (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists: GLP-1R, and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors: DPP-4). Although some of the currently available drugs are effective in the management of T2DM, the side effects resulting from prolonged use of these drugs remain a serious challenge. GLP-1R agonists are currently the preferred medications to include when oral metformin alone is insufficient to manage T2DM. Medicinal plants now play prominent roles in the management of various diseases globally because they are readily available and affordable as well as having limited and transient side effects. Recently, studies have reported the ability of phytochemicals to activate glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R), acting as an agonist just like the GLP-1R agonist with beneficial effects in the management of T2DM. Consequently, we propose that careful exploration of phytochemicals for the development of novel therapeutic candidates as GLP-1R agonists will be a welcome breakthrough in the management of T2DM and the co-morbidities associated with T2DM.

Keywords: diabetes complications; diabetes mellitus; glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist; newer drugs; phytochemicals.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

**Figure 1**
Macro- and microvascular complications in diabetes (Source: Naveen and Baskaran [6]).

**Figure 2**
Metabolic factors linking type 2 diabetes to cancer and the activation of signaling pathways (Source: Sun and Kashyap [22]).

**Figure 3**
GLP-1R-controlled signaling (Source: Smith et al. [45]).

**Figure 5**
Mechanism of induction of GLP-1 by phytochemicals (Source: Singh et al. [28]).

See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Potential Role of Phytochemicals as Glucagon-like Peptide 1 Receptor (GLP-1R) Agonists in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus

Affiliations

Potential Role of Phytochemicals as Glucagon-like Peptide 1 Receptor (GLP-1R) Agonists in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus

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