Biochemical basis of the antidiabetic activity of oleanolic acid and related pentacyclic triterpenes.

ABSTRACT: Oleanolic acid (OA), a natural component of many plant food and medicinal herbs, is endowed with a wide range of pharmacological properties whose therapeutic potential has only partly been exploited until now. Throughout complex and multifactorial mechanisms, OA exerts beneficial effects against diabetes and metabolic syndrome. It improves insulin response, preserves functionality and survival of β-cells, and protects against diabetes complications. OA may directly modulate enzymes connected to insulin biosynthesis, secretion, and signaling. However, its major contributions appear to be derived from the interaction with important transduction pathways, and many of its effects are consistently related to activation of the transcription factor Nrf2. Doing that, OA induces the expression of a

SUBMITTER: Castellano JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3661625 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature