Recent Developments on the Antidiabetic Sesquiterpene Lactones and Their Semisynthetic Analogues

Sesquiterpene Lactones: Promising Natural Compounds to Fight Inflammation

“…Sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) are composed of a large and diverse group of phytochemicals found in numerous plant families, with the greatest number of compounds belonging to the Asteraceae family [ 1 ]. These molecules derive from two main precursors, isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP), and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) [ 2 , 3 ].…”

“…Numerous other modifications to the molecular structure are also known, including the presence of hydroxyls, esters, and epoxides [ 8 , 9 ]. There are over 5000 reported structures of SLs, divided into several skeletal subtypes, the main ones being germacranolides, guaianolides, eudesmanolides, heliangolides, and pseudoguaianolides ( Figure 2 ) [ 1 , 10 ].…”

“…This curiosity has led to many studies regarding the isolation of these compounds from natural sources, the development of complete or semi-synthesis procedures, and the evaluation of the pharmacological potential of SLs and their derivatives. Some of the many known activities reported for this class of compounds include anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-tumor, anti-malarial, anti-diabetic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory activities [ 1 , 11 ]. There is a close relationship between the pharmacological potential of SLs and their respective ecological purposes, since their main goals in nature consist of anti-microbial and anti-herbivore endeavors, as well as the growth inhibition of competing plants [ 12 ].…”

The potential role of sesquiterpene lactones isolated from medicinal plants in the treatment of the metabolic syndrome – A review

“…The structural diversity and the broad spectrum of biological activities drew significant interests in the pharmacological applications of SLns ( Moujir et al., 2020 ). Many SLns have proved to have a significant anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activity therefore making them attractive for MetS therapy ( Chaturvedi, 2011 ; Chaturvedi et al., 2016 ).…”

“…In latter years, secondary plant metabolites have become of special interest in the scientific community because of their potential role in preventing and managing MetS ( Cicero and Colletti, 2016 ; Francini-Pesenti et al., 2019 ). Many compounds, such as sesquiterpene lactones (SLns), have been isolated from medicinal plants and their hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative properties coupled with their capacity to modulate key cellular functions have been confirmed by in vitro and in vivo methods ( Chadwick et al., 2013 ; Chaturvedi et al., 2016 ; Alonso et al., 2018 ). Despite these effects are linked to the pathogenesis of MetS, the role of these compounds to avoid its progression is not well documented compared to many other compounds such as polyphenols into which a great deal of research has been conducted.…”