Natural Products: A Microecological Perspective for Treating Diabetes and its Complications

The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in regulating metabolic and endocrine functions, influencing susceptibility to chronic conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. An imbalance in these intestinal bacteria, known as dysbiosis, is associated with significant health issues including insulin resistance, altered bile acid metabolism, and hormone signaling disruption. Concurrently, there is increasing evidence that natural products containing bioactive compounds, found in a range of plants and fermented foods, offer promising therapeutic potential. These substances can modulate the composition of the gut microbiota, promote the production of beneficial metabolites like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), improve the function of pancreas β-cells, and influence key metabolic pathways. This intricate interaction between natural products and the gut microbiota offers novel prospects for managing chronic endocrine disorders, emphasizing personalized and microbiome-focused therapeutic strategies.

This topic focuses on exploring the role of natural products in diabetes prevention and its complications through a microecological perspective. It delves into the intricate interplay between natural compounds and gut microbiota, highlighting how this dynamic relationship influences glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and inflammation. By examining bioactive components of natural products, the review aims to uncover their therapeutic potential in modulating gut microbiota to restore microecological balance, offering a novel strategy for managing diabetes and mitigating related complications.

The scope of this research will include but not limited to:
1. Natural products and their metabolites reshape the gut microbiome, alleviating inflammation, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance in diabetes.
2. External therapies of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and natural products enhance topical nutrition and improve clinical outcomes for diabetic foot, peripheral neuropathy, and microcirculation disturbances.
3. Natural products regulate the levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and bile acids (BAs), contributing to improved glucose metabolism through gut-liver axis.
4. Natural products enhance gut barrier integrity and reduce systemic inflammation, providing effective prevention and treatment for diabetes-related complications.
5. Natural products address metabolic disorders in diabetes, particularly those involving glucose, cholesterol, fatty acids, uric acid, amino acids, and vitamin metabolism.
6. Natural products modulate gut microbiome composition, and the potential mechanisms to protect and enhance pancreatic β-cells function.