Therapeutic Mechanisms of Nature Products against Insulin Resistance

Dear Colleagues,

Insulin resistance corresponds to a reduced responsiveness of insulin-sensitive tissues to physiological levels of insulin. This disorder is present in several diseases, such as metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cardiovascular diseases. Insulin resistance is often recognized as the primary defect leading to type 2 diabetes. During early phases of diabetes, a compensatory insulin hypersecretion allows insulin resistance to be counteracted and normoglycemia to be maintained. Thereafter, a progressive pancreatic β-cell failure is responsible for a decrease in insulin secretion, leading to chronic hyperglycemia. The main drivers of insulin resistance are related to obesity, decreased exercise practices, and the overconsumption of high-fat and high-carbohydrate food. To improve metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes, pharmacological strategies include insulin sensitisers (biguanides, thiazolidinediones), insulin secretagogues (e.g., sulphonylureas), alphaglucosidase inhibitors, and sodium–glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors. Natural products are also a source of active compounds that could be useful tools to improve metabolic disorders in combination with pharmacological drugs. They can originate from plants, animals, fungus, algae, microorganisms, food ingredients, and traditional medicine, and can act directly on insulin resistance to improve glucose homeostasis. They can target insulin-sensitive tissues, such as skeletal muscle, adipose tissues, liver, or the cardiovascular system. Their mechanisms of action can identify molecular targets in order to use them in combination with other pharmacological drugs.We thus invite investigators to provide studies investigating the therapeutic mechanisms of natural products at cellular and molecular levels on the target tissues that contribute to insulin resistance.

Prof. Dr. Anne-Dominique Lajoix
Dr. Didier Tousch
Guest Editors

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