International Journal of Clinical Case Reports 2024, Vol.14, No.6, 327-338 http://medscipublisher.com/index.php/ijccr 327 Research Insight Open Access Antidiabetic Potential of Phytochemicals fromEucommia ulmoides Zongyue Chen 1, Yichen Zhao 1 , Degang Zhao1,2 1 The Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region (Ministry of Education), College of Tea Sciences/Institute of Agro- Bioengineering, Guiyang, 550025, Guizhou, China 2 Plant Conservation & Breeding Technology Center, Guizhou Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biotechnology / Biotechnology Institute of Guizhou Province, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang, 550006, Guizhou, China Corresponding author: dgzhao@gzu.edu.cn; yczhao@gzu.edu.cn International Journal of Clinical Case Reports 2024, Vol.14, No.6 doi: 10.5376/ijccr.2024.14.0032 Received: 24 Sep., 2024 Accepted: 30 Oct., 2024 Published: 29 Nov., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Chen et al., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the origsinal work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Chen Z.Y., Zhao Y.C., and Zhao D.G., 2024, Antidiabetic potential of phytochemicals from Eucommia ulmoides, International Journal of Clinical Case Reports, 14(6): 327-338 (doi: 10.5376/ijccr.2024.14.0032) Abstract Eucommia ulmoides, a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, contains various bioactive compounds such as iridoids, flavonoids, lignans, and phenylpropanoids, which show potential in antidiabetic applications. Metabolic engineering techniques can enhance the synthesis of these compounds, thereby increasing the medicinal value of Eucommia ulmoides. This study reviews the identified phytochemicals in Eucommia ulmoides and analyzes advanced techniques used for their identification, such as UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and HPLC/DAD-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Additionally, it discusses the biochemical pathways, key enzymes, and genes associated with Eucommia ulmoides, with a focus on newly discovered iridoid glycoside polymers and their significance in antidiabetic research. The findings indicate that metabolic engineering can significantly enhance the production of antidiabetic-related compounds in Eucommia ulmoides, supporting the development of novel natural antidiabetic drugs. Both in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that these compounds effectively lower blood glucose levels and improve insulin sensitivity. Understanding the bioactive compounds and metabolic pathways in Eucommia ulmoides is crucial for developing new antidiabetic drugs. Metabolic engineering not only helps increase the content of these compounds but also enables more precise drug development through modern techniques such as genome editing. Future research should continue exploring additional bioactive compounds and utilize advanced metabolic engineering techniques to further optimize their synthesis pathways. Keywords Eucommia ulmoides; Bioactive compounds; Metabolic engineering; Antidiabetic; Genome editing 1 Introduction Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by elevated blood glucose levels, which can lead to severe complications affecting various organs. It is a significant public health issue, with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) being the most prevalent form. The global burden of diabetes is immense, affecting approximately 451 million people worldwide and contributing to increased morbidity and mortality rates (Zhao et al., 2018; Yan et al., 2019; Unuofin and Lebelo, 2020). The disease is associated with various complications, including cardiovascular diseases, kidney failure, neuropathy, and retinopathy, which further exacerbate the health and economic burden on societies (Vinayagam et al., 2017; Abdullah et al., 2023). Current pharmacological treatments for diabetes, while effective, often come with side effects and limitations in long-term efficacy. Therefore, there is a pressing need to discover new antidiabetic agents that are both effective and have minimal adverse effects. Natural products, particularly phytochemicals, have shown promise in this regard due to their diverse biological activities and lower side effect profiles (Vinayagam et al., 2017; Han et al., 2019; Jud and Sourij, 2019). Phytochemicals from various plants have been identified to modulate glucose metabolism, enhance insulin sensitivity, and exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, making them potential candidates for diabetes management (Ríos et al., 2015; Zhao et al., 2018; Yan et al., 2019). Eucommia ulmoides, commonly known as the hardy rubber tree, is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant that has been used for centuries to treat various ailments, including hypertension, arthritis, and diabetes. The leaves of E. ulmoides contain a rich array of bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, lignans, and iridoids, which have been reported to exhibit significant antidiabetic properties. Studies have shown that extracts fromE. ulmoides leaves
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ4ODYzNQ==