Flavonoids: cellular and molecular mechanism of action in glucose homeostasis.

The purpose of this review is to discuss the cellular and molecular mechanisms of action of flavonoids focusing on carbohydrate metabolism. The beneficial effects of flavonoids have been studied in relation to diabetes mellitus, either through their capacity to avoid glucose absorption or to improve glucose tolerance. Furthermore, flavonoids stimulate glucose uptake in peripheral tissues, regulate the activity and/or expression of the rate-limiting enzymes in the carbohydrate metabolism pathway and act per se as insulin secretagogues or insulin mimetics, probably, by influencing the pleiotropic mechanisms of insulin signaling, to ameliorate the diabetes status.

Flavonoids: prospective drug candidates.

The purpose of this review is to discuss the recent developments related to the chemistry and medicinal properties of flavonoids. Major flavonoids that show well categorized structures and well defined structure function-relationships are: flavans, flavanones, flavones, flavanonols, flavonols, catechins, anthocyanidins and isoflavone. The biological properties of flavonoids include antioxidant, anti-inflamatory, antitumoral, antiviral and antibacterial, as well as a direct cytoprotective effect on coronary and vascular systems, the pancreas and the liver. These characteristics place them among the most attractive natural substances available to enrich the current therapy options.

Insulin signaling: a potential signaling pathway for the stimulatory effect of kaempferitrin on glucose uptake in skeletal muscle.

The aim of the study was to investigate the in vitro effect and the mechanism of action of kaempferitrin on glucose uptake in an insulin target (soleus muscle). A stimulatory effect of kaempferitrin on glucose uptake was observed when rat soleus muscle was incubated with 10, 100 and 1000 ηM of this flavonoid glycoside. The presence of specific insulin signaling inhibitors, such as wortmannin, an inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), RO318220, an inhibitor of protein kinase C (PKC), PD98059, an inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK), HNMPA(AM)3, an insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity inhibitor, colchicine, a microtubule-depolymerizing agent, SB239063, an inhibitor of P38 MAPK and cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis showed that kaempferitrin triggers different metabolic and nuclear pathways in skeletal muscle. Besides the influence on glycogen storage, the metabolic action involves the insulin receptor, PI3K, atypical PKC activity and the translocation of GLUT4. Additionally, the nuclear pathways (via MAPK and MEK) provide evidence of the stimulation of the expression of glucose transporters or other signaling proteins, reinforcing proposals that skeletal muscle represents a primary site at which kaempferitrin exerts its effect promoting glucose homeostasis. Also, these similarities with the signaling pathways of insulin constitute strong evidence for the insulin-mimetic role of kaempferitrin in glucose homeostasis.

Potential insulin secretagogue effects of isovitexin and swertisin isolated from Wilbrandia ebracteata roots in non-diabetic rats.

The antihyperglycemic effect and mechanism of action of extracts, fractions and compounds from Wilbrandia ebracteata was studied. The crude extract reduced the glycemia, increased glycogen content and serum insulin in hyperglycemic rats. Also, a significant effect was observed with the n-butanol and metanol subfraction. However, the antihyperglycemic effect of the n-butanol fraction was not observed in diabetic rats. The C-glycosylflavones isovitexin and swertisin showed a strong antihyperglycemic action compared with the extracts and fractions. These results show that the extracts, fractions, and isolated C-glycosylflavones have an antihyperglycemic action that was reinforced by the stimulation on in vivo insulin secretion.

Signaling pathways of kaempferol-3-neohesperidoside in glycogen synthesis in rat soleus muscle.

Kaempferol 3-neohesperidoside is one of the several compounds that have been reported to have insulin-like properties in terms of glucose lowering. We studied the effect of kaempferol 3-neohesperidoside in glycogen synthesis in rat soleus muscle through the incorporation of (14)C-d-glucose in glycogen. Kaempferol 3-neohesperidoside stimulates glycogen synthesis in rat soleus muscle by approximately 2.38-fold. Insulin at 100 nM showed a stimulatory effect on glycogen synthesis when compared with the control group. The stimulatory effect of kaempferol 3-neophesperidoside on glycogen synthesis was inhibited by wortmannin, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, and enhanced by lithium chloride, a glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) inhibitor. Moreover, the stimulatory effect of kaempferol 3-neohesperidoside was also nullified by PD98059, a specific inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) and by calyculin A, an inhibitor of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) activity. It was concluded that the PI3K - GSK-3 pathway and MAPK - PP1 pathway are involved in the stimulatory kaempferol 3-neohesperidoside effect on glycogen synthesis in rat soleus muscle.

Mechanism of action of the stimulatory effect of apigenin-6-C-(2''-O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl)-beta-L-fucopyranoside on 14C-glucose uptake.

There has been a growing interest in hypoglycemic agents from natural products, particularly those derived from plants. Flavonoids are naturally occurring phenolic compounds with a broad range of biological activities and the beneficial effects of flavonoids have been studied in relation to diabetes mellitus, either through their capacity to avoid glucose absorption or to improve glucose tolerance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism of action of the stimulatory effect of apigenin-6-C-(2''-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-beta-L-fucopyranoside (1), isolated from Averrhoa carambola L. (Oxalidaceae) leaves, on (14)C-glucose uptake. This compound (1) was found to have an acute effect on blood glucose lowering in diabetic rats and stimulated glucose-induced insulin secretion after oral treatment in hyperglycemic rats. A significant stimulatory effect of compound 1 on (14)C-glucose uptake was observed at 50 and 100 microM. The effect of compound 1 on glucose uptake was completely nullified by wortmannin, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), RO318220, an inhibitor of protein kinase C (PKC), PD98059, a specific inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK), cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis, and colchicine, a microtubule-depolymerizing agent. Compound 1 (100 microM) and insulin (10 nM) did not show any synergistic effect on glucose uptake. These results suggest that the flavonoid may have a dual target of action, as an insulin-secretagogue and also as an insulin-mimetic agent.

Stimulatory effect of apigenin-6-C-beta-L-fucopyranoside on insulin secretion and glycogen synthesis.

In vivo and in vitro treatments were carried out to investigate the effects of apigenin-6-C-beta-L-fucopyranoside (1), isolated from Averrhoa carambola L. (Oxalidaceae), on serum glucose and insulin levels in hyperglycemic rats as well as its effect on glycogen synthesis in normal rat soleus muscle. Apigenin-6-C-beta-L-fucopyranoside showed an acute effect on blood glucose lowering in hyperglycemic rats and stimulated glucose-induced insulin secretion. A stimulatory effect of 1 on glycogen synthesis was observed when muscles were incubated with this flavonoid and also its effect was completely nullified by pre-treatment with insulin signal transduction inhibitors. Taking this into account, the MAPK-PP1 and PI3K-GSK3 pathways are involved in the apigenin-6-C-beta-L-fucopyranoside-induced increase in glycogen synthesis in muscle. This study provides evidence for dual effects of apigenin-6-C-beta-L-fucopyranoside as an antihyperglycemic (insulin secretion) as well as an insulinomimetic (glycogen synthesis) agent.

Insulinomimetic effect of kaempferol 3-neohesperidoside on the rat soleus muscle.

A stimulatory effect of kaempferol 3-neohesperidoside ( 1) on glucose uptake (35% and 21%) was observed when the rat soleus muscle was incubated with 1 and 100 nM of this flavonoid glycoside, respectively. The concentration-response curve of insulin showed a stimulatory effect at 3.5 and 7.0 nM (42% and 50%) on glucose uptake when compared with the control group. The effect of 1 on glucose uptake was completely nullified by pretreatment with LY294002, an inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), and RO318220, an inhibitor of protein kinase C (PKC). However, no significant change occurred on glucose uptake stimulated by 1 when muscles were pretreated with PD98059, an inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK), and cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis. Compound 1 and insulin (7 nM) did not show a synergistic effect on glucose uptake. Additionally, 100 mg/kg of 1 by oral gavage was able to increase glycogen content in the muscle. These results suggest that 1 stimulates glucose uptake in the rat soleus muscle via the PI3K and PKC pathways and, at least in part, independently of MEK pathways and the synthesis of new glucose transporters.