Antidiabetic, Antihyperlipidemic and Antioxidant Effects of the Flavonoids

Environmental and lifestyle changes contribute to the increasing global incidence of metabolic pathologies. None of the available marketed drugs comprehensively tackle the complexities associated with the axis linking inflammation/insulin resistance with obesity/hyperlipidemia. Flavonoids, found ubiquitously in most edible vegetables and fruits and constituting a major portion of micronutrients in diet, have emerged as potential alternatives for treating diabetes, hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress, involving multiple signaling pathways. Active components in a flavonoid-rich diet act synergistically on different biochemical pathways, bringing about a comprehensive therapeutic effect. Clinical evidences support the usefulness of flavonoid-rich foods over supplementation with individual flavonoids in high doses. The pleiotropic nature of flavonoids demonstrates a strong basis for their multi-targeted action on metabolic pathology. As more and more drugs focusing on single targets are being withdrawn, possibly because they destabilize the delicate equilibrium in the complex metabolic network, research on flavonoids is pacing ahead towards targeting multiple pathways holistically, legitimizing the need for re-establishing the metabolic homeostasis.