Evaluation of mulberry leaves' hypoglycemic properties and hypoglycemic mechanisms

Sikai Chen; Miaomiao Xi; Feng Gao; Min Li; TaiWei Dong; Zhixin Geng; Chunyu Liu; Fengyu Huang; Jing Wang; Xingyu Li; Peifeng Wei; Feng Miao

doi:10.3389/fphar.2023.1045309

Evaluation of mulberry leaves' hypoglycemic properties and hypoglycemic mechanisms

Front Pharmacol. 2023 Apr 6:14:1045309. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1045309. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Sikai Chen¹, Miaomiao Xi^{2

3}, Feng Gao¹, Min Li¹, TaiWei Dong¹, Zhixin Geng¹, Chunyu Liu¹, Fengyu Huang¹, Jing Wang¹, Xingyu Li¹, Peifeng Wei^{1

2}, Feng Miao²

Affiliations

¹ Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China.
² The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China.
³ Xi'an TANK Medicinal Biology Institute, Xi'an, China.

Abstract

The effectiveness of herbal medicine in treating diabetes has grown in recent years, but the precise mechanism by which it does so is still unclear to both medical professionals and diabetics. In traditional Chinese medicine, mulberry leaf is used to treat inflammation, colds, and antiviral illnesses. Mulberry leaves are one of the herbs with many medicinal applications, and as mulberry leaf study grows, there is mounting evidence that these leaves also have potent anti-diabetic properties. The direct role of mulberry leaf as a natural remedy in the treatment of diabetes has been proven in several studies and clinical trials. However, because mulberry leaf is a more potent remedy for diabetes, a deeper understanding of how it works is required. The bioactive compounds flavonoids, alkaloids, polysaccharides, polyphenols, volatile oils, sterols, amino acids, and a variety of inorganic trace elements and vitamins, among others, have been found to be abundant in mulberry leaves. Among these compounds, flavonoids, alkaloids, polysaccharides, and polyphenols have a stronger link to diabetes. Of course, trace minerals and vitamins also contribute to blood sugar regulation. Inhibiting alpha glucosidase activity in the intestine, regulating lipid metabolism in the body, protecting pancreatic -cells, lowering insulin resistance, accelerating glucose uptake by target tissues, and improving oxidative stress levels in the body are some of the main therapeutic properties mentioned above. These mechanisms can effectively regulate blood glucose levels. The therapeutic effects of the bioactive compounds found in mulberry leaves on diabetes mellitus and their associated molecular mechanisms are the main topics of this paper's overview of the state of the art in mulberry leaf research for the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

Keywords: chemical substances in mulberry leaves; diabetes treatmen; molecular mechanism; mulberry leaves; mulberry leaves safety.

Publication types

Review

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the Shaanxi Province Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance and Innovation and “Qin Medicine” Development Key Scientific Research Project (2021–02-ZZ-008), the Xianyang City Key R&D Program (2021 ZDYF-SF-0044), the Shaanxi Province Special Support Program Talent Project, the Shaanxi Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine “Double Chain Integration” Young and Middle-aged Scientific Research Innovation Team Project (2022-SLRH-YQ-008) and the Special Support Program for High-level Talents in Shaanxi Province.