International Journal of Clinical Case Reports 2024, Vol.14, No.6, 327-338 http://medscipublisher.com/index.php/ijccr 328 can ameliorate insulin resistance, reduce blood pressure, and improve vascular health in animal models, highlighting its potential as a natural antidiabetic agent (Jin et al., 2010). This study critically evaluates the antidiabetic potential of phytochemicals extracted fromEucommia ulmoides. By synthesizing existing research, it aims to comprehensively understand the mechanisms through which Eucommia ulmoides exerts its antidiabetic effects and to identify the most promising bioactive compounds for future therapeutic development. This study highlights the potential of Eucommia ulmoides as a natural source of antidiabetic agents and encourages further research into its clinical applications. 2 Phytochemical Composition of Eucommia ulmoides 2.1 Major phytochemicals identified As a traditional Chinese medicinal material, Eucommia ulmoides is rich in many phytochemicals and widely exists in various plant tissues. The commonly used medicinal parts of Eucommia ulmoides are stem bark, male flower, seeds and leaves. Lignans were the main components in Eucommia ulmoides bark, which were the highest in both quantity and content. The male flowers were mainly iridoids, flavonoids and triterpenoids, while the seeds were mainly unsaturated fatty acids and contained more iridoids. The seeds of Eucommia ulmoides also contained a variety of bioactive compounds. Six natural iridoid compounds, including genipin acid, sphingolipid D, euparoside A, euparoside B, euparoside C, and euparoside D, were identified from Euparia ulmoides seed powder (Figure 1) (Ma et al., 2022). The seeds of Eucommia ulmoides also contain a variety of bioactive compounds. Research has identified six natural iridoid compounds from the seed meal, including geniposidic acid, scyphiphin D, ulmoidoside A, ulmoidoside B, ulmoidoside C, and ulmoidoside D. Additionally, the seed oil contains phytosterols, with β-sitosterol being the most abundant, and other iridoid glycosides such as aucubin, bartsioside, and linaride (Tang et al., 2021). At the same time,the leaves of Eucommia ulmoides are rich in various phytochemicals, including iridoids, flavonoids, lignans, phenylpropanoids, and phenolic acids. A comprehensive study identified 83 possible chemical components in the leaves, which include 12 iridoids, 13 flavonoids, 14 lignans, 20 phenylpropanoids, and 14 phenolic acids (Huang et al., 2021a). Notably, flavonol glycosides such as quercetin 3-O-alpha-L-arabinopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranoside, kaempferol 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (astragalin), and quercetin 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (isoquercitrin) have been isolated from the leaves and shown to exhibit glycation inhibitory activity, which is significant for antidiabetic effects (Kim et al., 2004). 2.2 Methods of phytochemical analysis Advanced analytical techniques such as Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Diode-Array Detection and Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (HPLC/DAD-Q-TOF-MS/MS) have been employed to identify and characterize the phytochemicals in Eucommia ulmoides. These methods allow for the precise identification of various compounds based on their chromatographic behaviors and mass spectral characteristics (Niu et al., 2016; Huang et al., 2021a). The use of UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and HPLC/DAD-Q-TOF-MS/MS is crucial for the detailed characterization of the chemical components in Eucommia ulmoides. These techniques provide high sensitivity and accuracy, enabling the identification of both major and minor compounds, including new and unique phytochemicals. This detailed chemical profiling is essential for understanding the pharmacological potential and therapeutic applications of the plant (Niu et al., 2016; Huang et al., 2021a). 2.3 New and unique compounds Recent studies have led to the discovery of new iridoid glycoside polymers in the seeds of Eucommia ulmoides. Three new iridoid glycoside polymers were tentatively identified, along with other unique compounds that were reported for the first time in the seeds (Niu et al., 2016). These findings expand the known chemical diversity of the plant and highlight its potential for novel therapeutic applications.
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