Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Diabetes. Nov 15, 2023; 14(11): 1603-1620
Published online Nov 15, 2023. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v14.i11.1603
Mechanisms of action of natural products on type 2 diabetes
Tao Wang, Yang-Yang Wang, Meng-Yue Shi, Lian Liu
Tao Wang, Yang-Yang Wang, Meng-Yue Shi, Clinical Molecular Immunology Center, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei Province, China
Lian Liu, Department of Pharmacology, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei Province, China
Co-first authors: Tao Wang and Yang-Yang Wang.
Author contributions: Wang T and Wang YY reviewed and summarized the literature and wrote the paper; Shi MY revised the manuscript; Liu L designed and revised the manuscript; Liu L is the guarantor of this work. All authors were involved in the critical review of the results and have contributed to, read, and approved the final manuscript. Wang T and Wang YY contributed equally to this work as co-first authors. The reasons for designating Wang T and Wang YY as co-first authors are threefold. First, the research was performed as a collaborative effort, and the designation of co-corresponding authorship accurately reflects the distribution of responsibilities and burdens associated with the time and effort required to complete the study and the resultant paper. This also ensures effective communication and management of post-submission matters, ultimately enhancing the paper's quality and reliability. Second, the overall research team encompassed authors with a variety of expertise and skills from different fields, and the designation of co-corresponding authors best reflects this diversity. This also promotes the most comprehensive and in-depth examination of the research topic, ultimately enriching readers' understanding by offering various expert perspectives. Third, Wang T and Wang YY contributed efforts of equal substance throughout the research process. The choice of these researchers as co-first authors acknowledges and respects this equal contribution, while recognizing the spirit of teamwork and collaboration of this study. In summary, we believe that designating Wang T and Wang YY as co-first authors of is fitting for our manuscript as it accurately reflects our team's collaborative spirit, equal contributions, and diversity.
Supported by the Nature Science Foundation of Hubei Province, No. 2023AFB839.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare having no conflicts of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Lian Liu, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Yangtze University, No. 1 Nanhuan Road, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei Province, China. liulian@yangtzeu.edu.cn
Received: August 31, 2023
Peer-review started: August 31, 2023
First decision: September 4, 2023
Revised: September 14, 2023
Accepted: October 23, 2023
Article in press: October 23, 2023
Published online: November 15, 2023
Abstract

Over the past several decades, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been considered a global public health concern. Currently, various therapeutic modalities are available for T2DM management, including dietary modifications, moderate exercise, and use of hypoglycemic agents and lipid-lowering medications. Although the curative effect of most drugs on T2DM is significant, they also exert some adverse side effects. Biologically active substances found in natural medicines are important for T2DM treatment. Several recent studies have reported that active ingredients derived from traditional medicines or foods exert a therapeutic effect on T2DM. This review compiled important articles regarding the therapeutic effects of natural products and their active ingredients on islet β cell function, adipose tissue inflammation, and insulin resistance. Additionally, this review provided an in-depth understanding of the multiple regulatory effects on different targets and signaling pathways of natural medicines in the treatment of T2DM as well as a theoretical basis for clinical effective application.

Keywords: Type 2 diabetes, Natural product, β cell, Adipose tissue inflammation, Insulin resistance

Core Tip: This review compiled leading articles about the therapeutic effects of natural products and their active ingredients on islet β cell function, adipose tissue inflammation, and insulin resistance and provided an in-depth understanding of the multiple regulatory effects of different targets and signaling pathways of natural medicines in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.