Flavonoids and their Role in the Remedy of Diabetes Mellitus: A Review

Abstract

The impact of diabetes mellitus on the health care system is significant due to its global prevalence affecting millions of individuals. This condition is commonly related with factors such as obesity, urbanization, and genetic alterations. Those with diabetes mellitus have elevated blood glucose levels because an inability to produce, secrete or bind to insulin causes a lowering of insulin levels. Flavonoids are phenolic compounds found in fruits, vegetables and fungi. Carbon atoms are comprised of 15 chains of three carbon atoms in a skeleton. The anthocyanidin family includes flavonoids, flavones, flavanones, isoflavones, flavanols and flavonoids. In addition to their antidiabetic properties, flavonoids also have antioxidant properties. Molecular mechanisms underlying the antidiabetic properties of dietary flavonoids are summarized in this review. Other natural compounds with antidiabetic properties include cosmosiin, didymin, diosmin, naringin, isosiennsetin, nobiletin, poncirin, quercetin, rhoifolin, sinensetin, naringenin, sudachitin, rutin, hesperidin and tangeretin, which also improve lipid and phospholipid metabolism. The progression of diabetes is influenced by diabetes biomarkers. Citrus flavonoids are therefore promising candidates for antidiabetic action, even though further research is necessary to prove their effectiveness.