Flavonoids are ubiquitous compounds in nature and are found in many Chinese herbal medicines. Due to their biological activity, flavonoids show potential for decreasing insulin resistance (IR), thereby delaying the progression of diabetes and accompanying metabolic syndromes. This review focuses on the mechanisms of flavonoids decreasing IR: (1) the interaction between flavonoids and target proteins of the insulin signalling pathway; (2) bioactivities of flavonoids, such as anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering and antioxidant. Meanwhile, we summarise the structural characteristics, structure activity relationships and biological activity of flavonoids, providing evidence for their potential in the treatment of IR. Here, we also analyse the potential and limitations of their therapeutic use.
Keywords: Flavonoids; diabetes; inflammation; insulin resistance; obesity.