Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a kind of chronic and metabolic disease, which can cause a number of diseases and severe complications. Network pharmacology approach is introduced to study DM, which can combine the drugs, target proteins and disease and form drug-target-disease networks. Network pharmacology has been widely used in the studies of the bioactive compounds and action mechanisms of natural products for the treatment of DM due to the multi-components, multi-targets, and lower side effects. This review provides a balanced and comprehensive summary on network pharmacology from current studies, highlighting different bioactive constituents, related databases and applications in the investigations on the treatment of DM especially type 2. The mechanisms related to type 2 DM, including α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory, targeting β cell dysfunction, AMPK signal pathway and PI3K/Akt signal pathway are summarized and critiqued. It suggests that the network pharmacology approach cannot only provide a new research paradigm for natural products, but also improve the current antidiabetic drug discovery strategies. Furthermore, we put forward the perspectives on the reasonable applications of network pharmacology for the therapy of DM and related drug discovery.

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Summary Tea polysaccharides (TPS) are one of the main components of tea with various bioactivities. Digestion could result in the changes of the physicochemical properties and bioactivities of polysaccharides. The objective of this study was to determine the changes in physicochemical properties and α‐amylase inhibitory activities of TPS after simulated digestion. The structure of TPS determined by UV, IR and SEM showed that no obvious changes after salivary digestion, but significant changes after gastrointestinal digestion were observed. After intestinal digestion, the contents of reducing sugar were increased from 0.650 ± 0.011 to 1.594 ± 0.078 mm, and the centre molecular weight was decreased from 540.57 to 375.35 KDa. The molar ratio of monosaccharide was changed after digestion. And α‐amylase inhibition rate was significantly increased (P < 0.05). The results could provide information on the digestibility of TPSin vitro and contribute to the development of related functional foods or medicines.

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Summary Inonotus obliquus has been used as a folk remedy for a long time. An improved method using fine grinding by ball mill was investigated, and the main chemical components and physicochemical properties of Inonotus obliquus powders were analysed. The Inonotus obliquus fine grinding powders were prepared by pulverising the coarse powder with planetary ball mill for different time. The results showed that the yields of polysaccharides increased from 41.08 mg g−1 (coarse powder) to 319.62 mg g−1, and the yields of polyphenols were also increased fourfold in ball‐milled powders as compared to the untreated one. Ball‐milled powders showed higher values in the bulk density, angles of repose and slide, water solubility index and swelling capacity (P < 0.05), but lower values in the water‐holding capacity and oil‐holding capacity. The shape and surface morphology of the powders were changed after ball mill treatment. The antioxidant properties of the extracts from ball‐milled powders were significantly improved (P < 0.05). The results will be helpful for the application of Inonotus obliquus in food and pharmaceutical industries.

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