Effects of ethanol extract of Bombax ceiba leaves and its main constituent mangiferin on diabetic nephropathy in mice

The Therapeutic Effect and Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Its Complications

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has recently emerged as a beacon for the treatment of diabetes and its complications. Many TCMs that are commonly used, have the potentially demonstrated significant anti-diabetic effects. The mechanisms of these effects have been extensively discussed using modern techniques, such as genomics, mass spectrometry, and network pharmacology. Studies have demonstrated that TCM can influence glucose metabolism and pancreatic function via a diverse array of mechanisms including PI3K/AKT and AMPK pathways. TCM not only exhibits potential in the treatment of diabetes but also reduces the risk of diabetic complications. It is effective in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy (DN), diabetic retinopathy (DR), diabetic neuropathy (DPN), diabetic cardiomyopathy, and peripheral angiopathy. Research has demonstrated that prescriptions, Chinese herbal medicines, and their extracts play a role in a variety of molecular mechanisms such as antioxidation, apoptosis regulation, hypoxia improvement, autophagy, and promotion of glucose and lipid metabolism. The antioxidant properties of TCM have received considerable attention. Recent studies have demonstrated that they are capable of effectively eliminating free radicals from the body and reducing damage to cells caused by oxidative stress. Consequently, they are crucial in the treatment of diabetes and its associated complications. This review summarizes the ever-expanding scope of TCM applicability in the field of diabetes, providing crucial support and innovative ideas for modern healthcare. TCMs could help seek more effective pharmacological targets in basic study and as well serve as the complement to the strategy of diabetic prevention and treatment benefiting the patients. More and more large series of RCT and clinical investigations will eventually examine the efficacy of specific TCM formulas on the therapeutic effect of DM and its complication where currently treatments could not be satisfied.

Activation of Heme Oxygenase-1 by Mangiferin in Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells Contributes to Blocking Oxidative Damage

Mangiferin is a kind of natural xanthone glycosides and is known to have various pharmacological activities. However, since the beneficial efficacy of this compound has not been reported in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, this study aimed to evaluate whether mangiferin could protect human RPE ARPE-19 cells from oxidative injury mimicked by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The results showed that mangiferin attenuated H2O2-induced cell viability reduction and DNA damage, while inhibiting reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and preserving diminished glutathione (GSH). Mangiferin also antagonized H2O2-induced inhibition of the expression and activity of antioxidant enzymes such as manganese superoxide dismutase and GSH peroxidase, which was associated with inhibition of mitochondrial ROS production. In addition, mangiferin protected ARPE-19 cells from H2O2-induced apoptosis by increasing the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, decreasing caspase-3 activation, and blocking poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Moreover, mangiferin suppressed the release of cytochrome c into the cytosol, which was achieved by interfering with mitochondrial membrane disruption. Furthermore, mangiferin increased the expression and activity of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and nuclear factor-erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2). However, the inhibition of ROS production, cytoprotective and anti-apoptotic effects of mangiferin were significantly attenuated by the HO-1 inhibitor, indicating that mangiferin promoted Nrf2-mediated HO-1 activity to prevent ARPE-19 cells from oxidative injury. The results of this study suggest that mangiferin, as an Nrf2 activator, has potent ROS scavenging activity and may have the potential to protect oxidative stress-mediated ocular diseases.

The management of diabetes mellitus by mangiferin: advances and prospects

Diabetes mellitus has become one of the most challenging public health problems today. There are still various deficiencies that remain in existing therapeutic drugs. With increasing prevalence and mortality rates, more effective therapeutic agents are required for treatment clinically. As a kind of polyphenol and as a natural product, mangiferin has numerous pharmacological and excellent effects. In this review, the underlying mechanisms of mangiferin on diabetes mellitus and complications will be summarized. Moreover, mangiferin belongs to the BSC IV class and the clinical application and development of mangiferin are limited due to its poor aqueous solubility and fat solubility as well as low bioavailability. Our review also elaborated on improving the solubility of mangiferin by changing the dosage form and introduced the existing results, which hope to provide useful reference for mangiferin for further treating diabetes. In conclusion, mangiferin might be a potential adjuvant therapy for the treatment of diabetes mellitus and complications in the future.

Renoprotective Effects of Mangiferin: Pharmacological Advances and Future Perspectives

Both acute and chronic kidney diseases substantially contribute to the morbidities and mortality of patients worldwide. The existing therapeutics, which are mostly developed from synthetic sources, present some unexpected effects in patients, provoking researchers to explore potential novel alternatives. Natural products that have protective effects against various renal pathologies could be potential drug candidates for kidney diseases. Mangiferin is a natural polyphenol predominantly isolated from Mangifera indica and possesses multiple health benefits against various human ailments, including kidney disease. The main objective of this review is to update the renoprotective potentials of mangiferin with underlying molecular pharmacology and to highlight the recent development of mangiferin-based therapeutics toward kidney problems. Literature published over the past decade suggests that treatment with mangiferin attenuates renal inflammation and oxidative stress, improves interstitial fibrosis and renal dysfunction, and ameliorates structural alteration in the kidney. Therefore, mangiferin could be used as a multi-target therapeutic candidate to treat renal diseases. Although mangiferin-loaded nanoparticles have shown therapeutic promise against various human diseases, there is limited information on the targeted delivery of mangiferin in the kidney. Further research is required to gain insight into the molecular pharmacology of mangiferin targeting kidney diseases and translate the preclinical results into clinical use.