The Potential of the Flavonoid Content of Ipomoea batatas L. as an Alternative Analog GLP-1 for Diabetes Type 2 Treatment—Systematic Review

Abstract

Ipomoea batatas L. (IBL) has gained significant popularity as a complementary therapy or herbal medicine in the treatment of anti-diabetes. This review seeks to explore the mechanism by which flavonoid compounds derived from IBL exert their anti-diabetic effects through the activation of GLP-1. The review article refers to the PRISMA guidelines. In order to carry out the literature search, electronic databases such as Science Direct, Crossref, Scopus, and Pubmed were utilized. The search query was based on specific keywords, including Ipomoea batatas OR sweet potato AND anti-diabetic OR hypoglycemic. After searching the databases, we found 1055 articles, but only 32 met the criteria for further review. IBL contains various compounds, including phenolic acid, flavonols, flavanols, flavones, and anthocyanins, which exhibit activity against anti-diabetes. Flavonols, flavanols, and flavones belong to a group of flavonoids that possess the ability to form complexes with AlCl3 and Ca2+. The intracellular L cells effectively retain Ca2+, leading to the subsequent release of GLP-1. Flavonols, flavones, and flavone groups have been found to strongly interact with DPP-IV, which inhibits the degradation of GLP-1. The anti-diabetic activity of IBL is attributed to the mechanism that effectively increases the duration of GLP-1 in the systemic system, thereby prolonging its half-life.