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Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by persistent hyperglycemia. This state may lead to an increase in oxidative stress, which contributes to the development of diabetes complications, including diabetic kidney disease. Potentilla indica is a traditional medicinal herb in Asia, employed in the treatment of several diseases, including DM. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant effect of the ethyl acetate extract of Potentilla indica both in vitro and on kidneys of streptozotocin-induced diabetic male rats. Firstly, phytochemicals were identified via UPLC-MS/MS, and their in vitro antioxidant capabilities were evaluated. Subsequently, male Wistar rats were assigned into four groups: normoglycemic control, diabetic control, normoglycemic treated with the extract, and diabetic treated with the extract. At the end of the treatment, fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and uric acid were estimated. Furthermore, the kidneys were removed and utilized for the determination of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial respiratory chain complex activities, mitochondrial lipid peroxidation, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities. The in vitro findings showed that the major phytochemicals present in the extract were phenolic compounds, which exhibited a potent antioxidant activity. Moreover, the administration of the P. indica extract reduced creatinine and BUN levels, ROS production, and lipid peroxidation and improved mitochondrial respiratory chain complex activity and GSH-Px, SODk, and CAT activities when compared to the diabetic control group. In conclusion, our data suggest that the ethyl acetate extract of Potentilla indica possesses renoprotective effects by reducing oxidative stress on the kidneys of streptozotocin-induced diabetic male rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary metabolites such as flavonoids are promising in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is one of the complications of diabetes due to oxidative stress and inflammation. Some plants, such as Eryngium carlinae, have been investigated regarding their medicinal properties in in vitro and in vivo assays, showing favorable results for the treatment of various diseases such as diabetes and obesity. The present study examined the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the phenolic compounds present in an ethyl acetate extract of the inflorescences of Eryngium carlinae on liver homogenates and mitochondria from streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Phenolic compounds were identified and quantified by UHPLC-MS. In vitro assays were carried out to discover the antioxidant potential of the extract. Male Wistar rats were administered with a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ (45 mg/kg) and were given the ethyl acetate extract at a level of 30 mg/kg for 60 days. Phytochemical assays showed that the major constituents of the extract were flavonoids; in addition, the in vitro antioxidant activity was dose dependent with IC50 = 57.97 mg/mL and IC50 = 30.90 mg/mL in the DPPH and FRAP assays, respectively. Moreover, the oral administration of the ethyl acetate extract improved the effects of NAFLD, decreasing serum and liver triacylglycerides (TG) levels and oxidative stress markers and increasing the activity of the antioxidant enzymes. Likewise, it attenuated liver damage by decreasing the expression of NF-κB and iNOS, which lead to inflammation and liver damage. We hypothesize that solvent polarity and consequently chemical composition of the ethyl acetate extract of E. carlinae, exert the beneficial effects due to phenolic compounds. These results suggest that the phenolic compounds of the ethyl acetate extract of E. carlinae have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, and hepatoprotective activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation cultured Cecropia obtusifolia cells in suspension to evaluate the effect of nitrate deficiency on the growth and production of chlorogenic acid (CGA), a secondary metabolite with hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activity that acts directly on type 2 diabetes mellitus. Using cell cultures in suspension, a kinetics time course was established with six time points and four total nitrate concentrations. The metabolites of interest were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the metabolome was analyzed using directed and nondirected approaches. Finally, using RNA-seq methodology, the first transcript collection for C. obtusifolia was generated. HPLC analysis detected CGA at all sampling points, while metabolomic analysis confirmed the identity of CGA and of precursors involved in its biosynthesis. Transcriptome analysis identified differentially expressed genes and enzymes involved in the biosynthetic pathway of CGA. C. obtusifolia probably expresses a key enzyme with bifunctional activity, the hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA quinate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase and hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA shikimate/quinate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HQT/HCT), which recognizes shikimic acid or quinic acid as a substrate and incorporates either into one of the two routes responsible for CGA biosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]