MicroRNAs for Diabetes Management: From Natural Bioactive Compounds to Nucleotide Networks

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus (DM) and its associated complications via orchestrating key cellular processes. Natural bioactive components such as flavonoids, polysaccharides, saponins, alkaloids, terpenoids, as well as anthraquinones derived from berries, herbs, vegetables, and fishes have been extensively demonstrated to treat or prevent DM and related complications through targeting miRNAs-mediated signaling pathways. Mechanistically, these compounds treat/prevent DM and its complications principally by modulating processes including glucose homeostasis, inflammatory response, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autophagy, neovascularization, and fibrosis. This paper reviews the roles of miRNAs in DM and relevant complications and focuses on the potential molecular mechanisms of natural bioactive compounds in the treatment of DM and its complications by targeting miRNAs, with the aim of facilitating the development of miRNA-targeted edible natural products as functional foods as well as their clinical application in the treatment of DM and related complications.