Does luteolin treat diabetes?

In previous articles we explored the benefits of lignocaine, in this article we’re going to talk in more detail about the effects of lignocaine on diabetes, read on!

Recently, Prof. He Zhiyong and others from Jiangnan University published a review paper titled “Dietary Luteolin: A Narrative Review Focusing on Its Pharmacokinetic Properties and Effects on Glycolipid Metabolism” online in the international journal Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Dietary Luteolin: A Narrative Review Focusing on Its Pharmacokinetic Properties and Effects on Glycolipid Metabolism”.

the study of it

Luteolin, a major member of the flavonoid family, is commonly found in vegetables, fruits, herbs and other foods. Typically, a healthy diet is one that contains 2-125 mg of luteolin in the diet each day. Studies have found that lignan-rich extracts or isolated lignan monomers have a variety of health-promoting and pharmacological effects, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, anticancer, and neuroprotective effects.

In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that intake of lignans can potentially act beneficially against glucolipid metabolism disorders (GLMDs), especially insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity. In this review, the authors provide an overview of lignans pharmacokinetic properties (absorption, metabolism, and bioavailability), modulatory roles in glucolipid metabolism, and potential mechanisms of lignans action in the brain, liver, adipose tissue, and other tissues/organs. Overall, lignans or their major metabolites play a role in combating GLMDs especially diabetes and obesity in humans.

Table 1：Various sources of lignans and their contents

So how does it work?

luteolin are a kind of natural flavonoids, widely found in a variety of herbs and fruits and vegetables, with a variety of pharmacological activities. The role of luteolin in the treatment of diabetes is mainly manifested in the following aspects:

Image from pexels.com

1. Restore the function of pancreatic β-cells: pancreatic β-cells play a role in regulating blood sugar by secreting insulin. luteolin can up-regulate the protein expression of PI3K and AKT in the pancreas and increase the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen, thus improving and restoring the damaged pancreatic islet β-cells. It also reduces the aggregation of amyloid polypeptide in human pancreatic islets, improves cell survival and prevents apoptosis.
2. Promote insulin secretion and utilization: luteolin can increase the uptake and utilization of glucose by muscle and adipose tissue and reduce the production and release of glucose by the liver, thus contributing to the lowering of blood glucose.
3. Anti-inflammatory effect: luteolin has a strong anti-inflammatory effect, which can reduce the inflammatory response and relieve symptoms such as pain and swelling. It inhibits the production and release of inflammatory mediators, regulates the function of the immune system, and reduces the effects of inflammation on diabetes.