Approaches to Decrease Hyperglycemia by Targeting Impaired Hepatic Glucose Homeostasis Using Medicinal Plants

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Pharmacology
• Metabolic Disorders

Background:

• The liver is central to glucose homeostasis, regulating blood glucose through production, storage, and disposal.
• Insulin resistance in the liver leads to hyperglycemia, common in obesity and diabetes, due to dysregulated glucose production and storage.
• Two therapeutic strategies target hepatic insulin resistance: enhancing insulin signaling and directly modulating key metabolic enzymes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in medicinal plants for improving hepatic glucose metabolism.
• To explore plant-derived compounds targeting protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP-1B) and gluconeogenic enzymes.
• To identify promising plant candidates for phytomedicine development against hyperglycemia.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on research from the past 7 years.
• Analysis of plant compounds, particularly phenolics and terpenoids, for their effects on PTP-1B activity.
• Investigation of plant-derived molecule impacts on key enzymes in gluconeogenesis and glycogen metabolism.

Main Results:

• Medicinal plants contain compounds, like phenolics and terpenoids, that inhibit PTP-1B, a key disruptor of insulin signaling.
• Certain plant molecules effectively decrease the expression or activity of gluconeogenic enzymes such as phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and glucose 6-phosphatase.
• Coreopsis tinctoria, Lithocarpus polystachyus, and Panax ginseng were identified as promising candidates for modulating hepatic glucose output.

Conclusions:

• Medicinal plants provide a rich source of bioactive compounds for managing hepatic glucose metabolism.
• Targeting PTP-1B and key gluconeogenic enzymes with plant-derived molecules offers a viable therapeutic strategy for hyperglycemia.
• Coreopsis tinctoria, Lithocarpus polystachyus, and Panax ginseng demonstrate potential for developing novel phytomedicines to restore glucose homeostasis.