A Mechanism-based Perspective on the Use of Flavonoids in the Treatment of Diabetes and its Complications

Diabetes is a chronic, irreversible, non-infectious metabolic syndrome associated with low insulin production by the pancreas or due to insulin resistance. The management landscape for diabetes is swiftly evolving due to ongoing advancements. Conventional treatment approaches have struggled to fully address the root causes of the disease while also carrying significant risks of adverse effects. Flavonoids are an extensive class of phytonutrients present in grains, vegetables, fruits, cocoa, tea, wine, and nuts. Many studies have reported that flavonoids have shown diversified pharmacological activity in recent years. Thus, this review will give you an overview of the significant anti-diabetic potential of promising flavonoids. Various search engines such as PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and WoS have been explored by using the keywords "apigenin," "luteolin," "naringenin," "hesperidin," "kaempferol," "quercetin," "myricetin" and "taxifolin" with "anti-diabetic." The anti-diabetic activity of flavonoids is attributed to various mechanisms, including α glucosidase, α-amylase inhibitory effects, GLUT4 expression, antioxidant, and apoptosis. However, their inadequate biopharmaceutical qualities make their effectiveness in clinical translation constrained. This review aims to highlight plant-derived flavonoids through in-vitro, in vivo, and clinical insights. Additionally, the review highlights the recent advancement in the drug delivery system in diabetes to overcome the limitation of flavonoids.