Clinical and Translational Discovery (Feb 2023)
Gut microbiota intervention strategies using active components from medicinal herbs to evaluate clinical efficacy of type 2 diabetes – A review
Abstract
Abstract There is a myriad of phytocomponents in various medicinal herbs, and some of these substances have low absolute oral bioavailability. There is a complex and nuanced interaction between metabolic profiles and gut microbiota that influences human health and illness. An important component of alternative and complementary health care is the use of medicinal herbs for therapeutic purposes. Expanding facets from numerous scientific discoveries mentioned the potential linkage between intestinal microbiota and the curative capabilities of beneficial components from medicinal herbs upon their recognition. There is a strong interaction between gut microbiota and host at the mucosal barrier of the gastrointestinal tract. This reinforces the notion that it is important to consider the effects of medicinal herbs in relation to gut flora and metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes. There has been an explosion in the number of medicinal herbs coming into the spotlight with phytocomponents already recognised as having anti‐diabetic effects, such as increased insulin sensitivity and decreased blood sugar levels. The review sites' assertion that altering gastrointestinal microbial community by intervention tactics that modulate the gut microbiota by using phytocomponents from medicinal herbs with a major emphasis only on flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides, and terpenoids may very well be relevant to T2DM rehabilitation may indeed be relevant. The goal of this review is to present an overview of the potential impacts of using medicinal herbs for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes by modifying the gut microbiota in a healthier manner. Based on the available scientific literature, in order to gain a deeper understanding of how to integrate specialised treatments that are based on intestinal bacteria into mainstream clinical practice, this review is aimed at providing a comprehensive understanding of the pathogenesis and progression of T2DM, as well as more thoughtful strategies to manipulate the gut microbiota with medicinal herbs as an integral part of intervention strategies.
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