Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the most prevalent disease and becoming a serious public health threat worldwide. It is a severe endocrine metabolic disorder that has the ability to induce serious complications in all kinds of organs. Although mechanisms of anti-diabetics have been described before, we focus here on the cellular and physiological mechanisms involved in the modulation of insulin and glucose blood levels. As obesity and inflammation are intimately associated with the development of T2DM, their possible relationships are also described. The effects of gut microbiota on insulin resistance have been recently investigated in clinical trials, and we discuss the potential mechanisms by which gut microbiota may improve glucose handling, especially via the metabolism of ingested phytochemicals. Among the historically supported effects of phytochemicals, their therapeutic potential for T2DM leads to consider these natural products as an important pool for the identification of novel anti-diabetic drug leads. This current research extends the descriptions of anti-diabetic effects of plants that are used in traditional medicines or as nutraceuticals. The objective of the present review is to make a systematic report on glucose metabolism in T2DM as well as to explore the relationships between natural phytochemicals and glucose handling.
Keywords: Type 2 diabetes; gut microbiota; metabolic pathways; new therapies; phytochemicals.