Costus pictus D. Don leaf extract stimulates GLP-1 secretion from GLUTag L-cells and has cytoprotective effects in BRIN-BD11 β-cells

An Update on Pharmacological and Phytochemical Aspects of Costus pictus D. Don - A Promising Anti-diabetic Plant

BACKGROUND

The genus Costus is the largest genus in the family Costaceae and encompasses about 150 known species. Among these, Costus pictus D. Don (Synonym: Costus mexicanus) is a traditional medicinal herb used to treat diabetes and other ailments. Currently, available treatment options in modern medicine have several adverse effects. Herbal medicines are gaining importance as they are cost-effective and display improved therapeutic effects with fewer side effects. Scientists have been seeking therapeutic compounds in plants, and various in vitro and in vivo studies report Costus pictus D. Don as a potential source in treating various diseases. Phytochemicals with various pharmacological properties of Costus pictus D. Don, viz. anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, diuretic, analgesic, and anti-microbial have been worked out and reported in the literature.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the review is to categorize and summarize the available information on phytochemicals and pharmacological properties of Costus pictus D. Don and suggest outlooks for future research.

METHODS

This review combined scientific data regarding the use of Costus pictus D. Don plant for the management of diabetes and other ailments. A systematic search was performed on Costus pictus plant with anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, and other pharmacological properties using several search engines such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Sci-Finder, other online journals and books for detailed analysis.

RESULTS

Research data compilation and critical review of the information would be beneficial for further exploration of its pharmacological and phytochemical aspects and, consequently, new drug development. Bioactivity-guided fractionation, isolation, and purification of new chemical entities from the plant as well as pharmacological evaluation of the same will lead to the search for safe and effective novel drugs for better healthcare.

CONCLUSION

This review critically summarizes the reports on natural compounds, and different extract of Costus pictus D. Don with their potent anti-diabetic activity along with other pharmacological activity. Since this review has been presented in a very interactive manner showing the geographical region of availability, parts of plant used, mechanism of action and phytoconstituents in different extracts of Costus pictus responsible for particular action, it will be of great importance to the interested readers to focus on the development of the new drug leads for the treatment of diseases.

Revisiting the concept of incretin and enteroendocrine L-cells as type 2 diabetes mellitus treatment

The significant growth in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) prevalence strikes a common threat to the healthcare and economic systems globally. Despite the availability of several anti-hyperglycaemic agents in the market, none can offer T2DM remission. These agents include the prominent incretin-based therapy such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors that are designed primarily to promote GLP-1R activation. Recent interest in various therapeutically useful gastrointestinal hormones in T2DM and obesity has surged with the realisation that enteroendocrine L-cells modulate the different incretins secretion and glucose homeostasis, reflecting the original incretin definition. Targeting L-cells offers promising opportunities to mimic the benefits of bariatric surgery on glucose homeostasis, bodyweight management, and T2DM remission. Revising the fundamental incretin theory is an essential step for therapeutic development in this area. Therefore, the present review explores enteroendocrine L-cell hormone expression, the associated nutrient-sensing mechanisms, and other physiological characteristics. Subsequently, enteroendocrine L-cell line models and the latest L-cell targeted therapies are reviewed critically in this paper. Bariatric surgery, pharmacotherapy and new paradigm of L-cell targeted pharmaceutical formulation are discussed here, offering both clinician and scientist communities a new common interest to push the scientific boundary in T2DM therapy.

Neuroprotection by dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 analogs via the modulation of AKT-signaling pathway in Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common reason for progressive dementia in the elderly. It has been shown that disorders of the mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathways are related to the AD. On the other hand, diabetes mellitus (DM) is a risk factor for the cognitive dysfunction. The pathogenesis of the neuronal impairment caused by diabetic hyperglycemia is intricate, which contains neuro-inflammation and/or neurodegeneration and dementia. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP1) is interesting as a possible link between metabolism and brain impairment. Modulation of GLP1 activity can influence amyloid-beta peptide aggregation via the phosphoinositide-3 kinase/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in AD. The GLP1 receptor agonists have been shown to have favorable actions on the brain such as the improvement of neurological deficit. They might also exert a beneficial effect with refining learning and memory on the cognitive impairment induced by diabetes. Recent experimental and clinical evidence indicates that dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitors, being currently used for DM therapy, may also be effective for AD treatment. The DPP-4 inhibitors have demonstrated neuroprotection and cognitive improvements in animal models. Although further studies for mTOR, GLP1, and DPP4 signaling pathways in humans would be intensively required, they seem to be a promising approach for innovative AD-treatments. We would like to review the characteristics of AD pathogenesis, the key roles of mTOR in AD and the preventive and/ or therapeutic suggestions of directing the mTOR signaling pathway.