Junyu Liu

Oxidative stress is a primary driver of diabetic nephropathy (DN), highlighting the urgent need for potent natural antioxidants. This study explored the reno-protective potential and associated mechanisms of Rhinacanthus nasutus aqueous extract (AE). Phytochemical profiling via Q Exactive HF Orbitrap LC–MS/MS and serum pharmacochemistry analysis identified 38 constituents, among which 25 bioavailable constituents (e.g., caffeic acid and naringenin) might be the key bioactive ones. In the L6 myotubes in vitro assays, AE (75 μg/mL) was observed to upregulate the PI3K/AKT and GLUT4 signaling cytokines, coinciding with enhanced glucose uptake, as confirmed by Western blot with insulin as a positive control. Furthermore, in STZ-induced DN rats, AE could reduce MDA levels (0.58 vs. 1.44 nmol/mgprot) and restore T-SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px levels (170.57, 51.93, 63.68 vs. 114.93, 40.84, 50.99 mgprot). The protective effects were accompanied by the modulation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling axis. These findings suggest that AE exerts dual efficacy involving glucose uptake regulation and oxidative stress inhibition. Consequently, Rhinacanthus nasutus represents a promising natural antioxidant resource with potential for the management of DN.

(1) Background: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease with a rising global prevalence. Mulberry leaf (ML), a traditional medicinal and edible plant, possesses notable hypoglycemic effects and has a long history of usage. This review aims to systematically consolidate the research progress on the hypoglycemic constituents derived from ML, including their chemical structure, extraction methods, quality analysis techniques, and hypoglycemic mechanisms. (2) Methods: Adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA 2020) guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was conducted using Web of Science and PubMed databases to find relevant studies published between 2015 and 2025. (3) Results: This review evaluates both conventional and modern techniques such as water extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), and enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE), highlighting their advantages and limitations when applied on ML. Additionally, this review examines the analytical techniques applied in the quality control of ML and its constituents. This is complemented by a summary of hypoglycemic mechanisms, focusing on the inhibition of oxidative stress, amelioration of insulin resistance, regulation of related enzyme activity, and modulation of gut microbiota. (4) Conclusions: ML demonstrates considerable potential for treating diabetes. However, further studies are needed for new drug discovery based on new ML-derived bioactive constituents, highly efficient extraction methods, quality analysis techniques, and underlying mechanisms.

Background: Osteoporosis is one of the most common bone metabolic diseases that affects mainly the health of elderly people. It is a kind of prevalent chronic disease, and the conventional treatment methods have some limitations or side effects. Targeting nanoparticles represent a novel technology that has garnered extensive attention in recent years. They can selectively enhance the drug concentration at the targeted site, offering a novel treatment method. Methods: The review is carried out according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA 2020) guidelines. Results: This article comprehensively summarizes recent research progress on the status of existing anti-osteoporosis drugs and bone-targeting nanoparticles for the treatment of osteoporosis, including their carrier materials, modification techniques, preparation methods, and function mechanisms. It also discusses their applications in RNA interference (RNAi) therapy and other related areas. Furthermore, given the limitations of bone-targeting nanoparticles, solutions and viewpoints have been proposed. This review summarizes that bone-targeting nanoparticles are useful for osteoporosis therapy and provide a novel perspective for new drug discovery. Conclusions: Bone-targeting nanoparticles overcome the limitations of traditional treatment methods and enhance therapeutic efficacy. However, the clinical translation of bone-targeted nanoparticles remains challenging and requires further investigation.

Diabetes is a common chronic metabolic disease. Different types of drugs play important roles in controlling diabetes and its complications, but there are some limitations. The glucose-responsive drug delivery system is a novel technology with potential in diabetes treatment. It could automatically release drugs in response to changes in glucose levels in the body to maintain blood glucose within a normal range. The emergence of a glucose-sensitive drug delivery system provides a more intelligent and precise way to treat diabetes. The review is carried out according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA 2020) guidelines This review focuses on the recent advances in the drugs and different systems of glucose-sensitive drug delivery, including glucose oxidase, phenylboronic acid, Concanavalin A, and other glucose-reactive systems. Furthermore, the glucose-responsive drug delivery system combined with the application applied in hydrogels, microneedles, and nanoparticles is also explored and summarized. The new platforms to sustain the release of anti-diabetic drugs could be desirable for patients. It could lead to increased adherence and glycemic outcomes for the detection and treatment of diabetes. Furthermore, given the limitations of glucose-responsive drug delivery systems, solutions and perspectives are proposed to help the understanding and application of these systems. This review will be helpful for drug discovery and treatment of diabetes from a new perspective.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common chronic metabolic disease worldwide. The disturbance of the gut microbiota has a complex influence on the development of DM. Polysaccharides are one type of the most important natural components with anti-diabetic effects. Gut microbiota can participate in the fermentation of polysaccharides, and through this, polysaccharides regulate the gut microbiota and improve DM. This review begins by a summary of the sources, anti-diabetic effects and the gut microbiota regulation functions of natural polysaccharides. Then, the mechanisms of polysaccharides in regulating the gut microbiota to exert anti-diabetic effects and the structure–activity relationship are summarized. It is found that polysaccharides from plants, fungi, and marine organisms show great hypoglycemic activities and the gut microbiota regulation functions. The mechanisms mainly include repairing the gut burrier, reshaping gut microbiota composition, changing the metabolites, regulating anti-inflammatory activity and immune function, and regulating the signal pathways. Structural characteristics of polysaccharides, such as monosaccharide composition, molecular weight, and type of glycosidic linkage, show great influence on the anti-diabetic activity of polysaccharides. This review provides a reference for the exploration and development of the anti-diabetic effects of polysaccharides.

(1) Background: Dyes play an important role in food, medicine, textile, and other industries, which make human life more colorful. With the increasing demand for food safety, the development of natural dyes becomes more and more attractive. (2) Methods: The literature was searched using the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, and SciFinder and this scoping review was carried out following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). (3) Results: 248 articles were included in this review. This review summarizes the research progress on natural dyes in the last ten years. According to structural features, natural dyes mainly include carotenoids, polyphenols, porphyrins, and alkaloids, and some of the newest dyes are summarized. Some pharmacological activities of carotenoids, anthocyanin, curcumin, and betalains in the last 10 years are summarized, and the biological effects of dyes regarding illumination conditions. The disadvantages of natural dyes, including sources, cost, stability, and poor bioavailability, limit their application. Here, some feasible strategies (potential resources, biotechnology, new extraction and separation strategies, strategies for improving stability) are described, which will contribute to the development and utilization of natural dyes. (4) Conclusion: Natural dyes show health benefits and potential in food additives. However, it is necessary for natural dyes to pass toxicity tests and quality tests and receive many regulatory approvals before their final entry into the market as food colorants or as drugs.

(1) Background: Orthosiphon stamineus Benth. is a traditional medicine used in the treatment of diabetes and chronic renal failure in southern China, Malaysia, and Thailand. Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease and the number of diabetic patients in the world is increasing. This review aimed to systematically review the effects of O. stamineus in the treatment of diabetes and its complications and the pharmacodynamic material basis. (2) Methods: This systematic review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), using the databases ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Web of Science. (3) Results: Thirty-one articles related to O. stamineus and diabetes were included. The mechanisms of O. stamineus in the treatment of diabetes and its complications mainly included inhibiting α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, regulating lipid metabolism, promoting insulin secretion, ameliorating insulin resistance, increasing glucose uptake, promoting glycolysis, inhibiting gluconeogenesis, promoting glucagon-likepeptide-1 (GLP-1) secretion and antiglycation activity. Phenolic acids, flavonoids and triterpenoids might be the main components for hypoglycemia effects in O. stamineus. (4) Conclusion: O. stamineus could be an antidiabetic agent to treat diabetes and its complications. However, it needs further study on a pharmacodynamic substance basis and the mechanisms of effective constituents.

Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) is a kind of medicine and health food widely used by folk in China, Russia, Korea, and some occidental countries. Among the extracts from Inonotus obliquus, Inonotus obliquus polysaccharide (IOPS) is supposed to be one of the major bioactive components in Inonotus obliquus, which possesses antitumor, antioxidant, anti-virus, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic activities. In this review, the current advancements on extraction, purification, structural characteristics, and biological activities of IOPS were summarized. This review can provide significant insight into the IOPS bioactivities as their in vitro and in vivo data were summarized, and some possible mechanisms were listed. Furthermore, applications of IOPS were reviewed and discussed; IOPS might be a potential candidate for the treatment of cancers and type 2 diabetes. Besides, new perspectives for the future work of IOPS were also proposed.