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Nutrients
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Hypoglycemic Properties and Pathways of Natural Substances
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Hypoglycemic Properties and Pathways of Natural Substances

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Diabetes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2025 | Viewed by 2212

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yujie Zhong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
Interests: nutrition; diet; diabetes and its complications; hypoglycemic; fatty liver disease; diabetic nephropathy; postbiotics; identification and control of food hazards
Dr. Xiaoli Peng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Interests: nutrition; diabetes; hypoglycemic; glucose metabolism; micronutrients; kidney health; diabetic nephropathy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Diabetes remains a critical global health issue, impacting millions of people around the world. While pharmaceutical interventions are crucial for managing diabetes, there is growing interest in complementary and alternative approaches, particularly nutritional interventions. Recent research has increasingly highlighted the potential of natural substances in managing blood glucose levels and providing complementary support in diabetes treatment.

This Special Issue invites original research and review articles that investigate the hypoglycemic effects and mechanisms of the active ingredients from plants, microorganisms, or other natural sources. Potential topics of interest include the following:

- Isolation and characterization of bioactive compounds with hypoglycemic effects.
- Mechanistic studies on the action of natural compounds in glucose metabolism.
- Clinical trials and in vivo studies evaluating the efficacy of natural hypoglycemic agents.
- Synergistic effects of natural compounds with conventional diabetes treatments.
- Safety, toxicity, and pharmacokinetics of natural hypoglycemic agents.
- Nutritional and dietary interventions involving natural hypoglycemic compounds.
- In vitro studies and cell culture models for screening hypoglycemic activity.
- Bioinformatics and computational studies on natural compounds targeting diabetes.
- The molecular targets and signaling cascades modulated by natural substances to improve diabetes.
- Meta-analyses and systematic reviews summarizing the evidence for natural substances (e.g., polyphenols, terpenoids, polysaccharides, etc.) in diabetes management.

We welcome original contributions from multidisciplinary perspectives to advance the development of evidence-based complementary care in diabetes.

Dr. Yujie Zhong
Dr. Xiaoli Peng
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nutrition
  • diet
  • diabetes
  • hypoglycemic
  • glucose metabolism
  • micronutrients
  • natural substances
  • insulin
  • polyphenols
  • terpenoids
  • polysaccharides

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2770 KiB  
Article
The Glucose-Lowering Effect of Mesembryanthemum crystallinum and D-Pinitol: Studies on Insulin Secretion in INS-1 Cells and the Reduction of Blood Glucose in Diabetic Rats
by Dahae Lee, Sung Jin Kim, Yea Jung Choi, Young Ho Rho, Tae Seok Kang, Yoon Geol Kim and Ki Sung Kang
Nutrients 2025, 17(1), 193; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17010193 - 6 Jan 2025
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Abstract
Background: Ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum) is a vegetable with various therapeutic uses, one of which is its ability to prevent diabetes. The present study examined the insulin secretion effect related to the mechanism of action of ice plant extract (IPE) and [...] Read more.
Background: Ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum) is a vegetable with various therapeutic uses, one of which is its ability to prevent diabetes. The present study examined the insulin secretion effect related to the mechanism of action of ice plant extract (IPE) and its active compound D-pinitol in a rat insulin-secreting β-cell line, INS-1, as well as in diabetic rats. Methods: The glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) test and Western blotting were used to measure GSIS. The glucose-stimulated index (GSI) and expression levels of insulin-related pathway factors, including insulin receptor substrate-2 (IRS-2), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, and pancreatic and duodenal homeobox-1 (PDX-1), were measured in INS-1 cells. Results: The results showed that the GSI values were found to be 8.17 ± 0.22 and 12.21 ± 0.22 for IPE (25 μg/mL) and D-pinitol (100 μM), respectively. GSI values increased statistically significantly. In addition, IPE and D-pinitol upregulated the expression of insulin-related pathway factors. These findings indicate that insulin secretion was significantly stimulated by IPE and D-pinitol in the INS-1 cells, partly by upregulating the expression of IRS-2, PI3K, Akt, and PDX-1. Additionally, IPE administration significantly reduced excessive weight gain and improved glucose tolerance by decreasing the OGTT-AUC. It demonstrated liver-function-improving and lipid-lowering effects by reducing serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), triglyceride levels, and total cholesterol levels. Mechanistically, IPE enhances insulin signaling by increasing insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) phosphorylation and improving glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Conclusions: These results offer important new information on the potential of D-pinitol and IPE as functional foods for improving insulin secretion and managing metabolic dysregulation associated with diabetes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hypoglycemic Properties and Pathways of Natural Substances)
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Review

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22 pages, 565 KiB  
Review
Nutrients and Natural Substances for Hypoglycemic Effects and Management in Diabetic Retinopathy
by Francesco Cappellani, Roberta Foti, Giulia Malaguarnera, Fabiana D’Esposito, Carlo Musumeci, Lorenzo Rapisarda, Daniele Tognetto, Caterina Gagliano and Marco Zeppieri
Nutrients 2025, 17(7), 1207; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17071207 - 30 Mar 2025
Viewed by 598
Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a significant microvascular consequence of diabetes mellitus (DM), resulting in visual impairment and blindness. Controlling hyperglycemia is essential for avoiding and alleviating diabetic retinopathy. Nutrients and natural compounds possessing hypoglycemic characteristics present promising supplementary approaches to conventional therapies. This [...] Read more.
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a significant microvascular consequence of diabetes mellitus (DM), resulting in visual impairment and blindness. Controlling hyperglycemia is essential for avoiding and alleviating diabetic retinopathy. Nutrients and natural compounds possessing hypoglycemic characteristics present promising supplementary approaches to conventional therapies. This review assesses the influence of nutrients and natural substances on glycemic regulation and their possible effects on diabetic retinopathy. Goal: To investigate and consolidate knowledge about nutrients and natural compounds exhibiting hypoglycemic properties and their processes in the prevention and management of diabetic retinopathy. Approaches: Extensive reviews were conducted on pertinent studies from databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Selection criteria encompassed papers that examined natural substances, nutrients, or dietary supplements exhibiting effects on blood glucose levels and pathways associated to diabetic retinopathy. Principal findings were encapsulated according to their mechanisms, efficacy, and safety. Outcomes: Numerous foods, including omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, and polyphenols (e.g., curcumin, resveratrol), have hypoglycemic properties by improving insulin sensitivity and diminishing oxidative stress. Natural substances like berberine, quercetin, and flavonoids demonstrate analogous effects, influencing pathways associated with inflammation, advanced glycation end products (AGEs), and angiogenesis, which are critical factors in the evolution of diabetic retinopathy (DR). The synergistic benefits of integrating natural medicines with conventional antidiabetic medications may enhance glycemic control and reduce retinal damage. The safety profiles of these therapies are predominantly positive; nonetheless, clinical trials are still constrained in both breadth and scale. Conclusions: Nutrients and natural compounds are promising supplementary approaches for glycemic regulation and the therapy of diabetic retinopathy. Additional research, encompassing extensive clinical studies, is required to substantiate their efficacy, determine optimal dose, and verify long-term safety. The use of these natural substances into clinical practice may improve comprehensive management of diabetes and associated consequences. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hypoglycemic Properties and Pathways of Natural Substances)
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