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. 2025 Apr 11;16:1511701. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1511701

TABLE 5.

Lists of TCM monomers with potential anti-diabetes and its cardiovascular complications action.

Types of compounds Compounds Diseases Model Optimal dose Duration of treatment Effects Potential mechanism References
Alkaloid Berberine T2DM GK rats and Wistar rats 200 mg/kg 12 weeks Attenuated intestinal inflammation and lowered glucose ①② Xu et al. (2020)
T2DM Patients 300 mg 12 weeks Anti-diabetic Nematollahi et al. (2022)
Matrine T2DM Mouse intestinal secretory cell line (STC-1) 0, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 mmol/L 24, 48, 72 h Lowered blood sugar Gao et al. (2018)
Diabetic cardiomyopathy SD rats 200 mg/kg/d 10 days Attenuated cardiac fibrosis Liu et al. (2017)
Diabetic cardiomyopathy SD rats 5 mg/kg, once a day 10 weeks Decreased nonfasting blood glucose levels and improved hemodynamic parameters Hou et al. (2013)
Saponins Astragaloside IV(AS-IV) T2DM Kunming mice 25, 50, 100 mg/kg, once daily 10 weeks Reversed the abnormalities in blood lipids, glucose, insulin resistance, as well as oxidative stress levels ②④⑤ Gong et al. (2021a)
T2DM The mouse insulinoma Min6 cells 0, 12.5, 25, 50 μmol/L 26 h Protected uric acid-induced pancreatic β-Cell dysfunction ③⑥ Li et al. (2024)
Diabetic cardiomyopathy Wistar rats 40 mg/kg/d 12 weeks Improve the cardiac function Wu et al. (2023a)
Diabetic cardiomyopathy C57BL/6 J mice 3, 6, 12 mg/kg 8 weeks Inhibited endothelial dysfunction Zhang et al. (2021)
The fruits of Sophora flavescens Aiton (GFS) Diabetic cardiomyopathy Wistar rats 40, 80 mg/kg 12 weeks Enhanced the secretion index of pancreatic beta cells and improved lipid metabolism disorders ①④ Sun (2020)
Anemoside B4 T2DM SD rats 2.5, 5 mL/kg 2 weeks Improved hyperglycemia Gong et al. (2023)
T2DM Male SD rats 5 mL/kg, twice 1 day 2 weeks Improved hyperglycemia ⑤⑥ Gong (2023a)
Polysaccharides Dendrobium officinale Kimura and Migo polysaccharide T2DM Male C57BL/6 mice 100, 200, 400 mg/kg 4 weeks Relieved symptoms of high blood sugar Liu (2019)
Lycium barbarum Mill. polysaccharide T2DM C57BL/6 mice 50, 100, 200 mg/kg 6 weeks Reduced blood glucose levels and improved insulin sensitivity Ma et al. (2022)
Polygonatum sibiricum Redouté polysaccharide (PP) T2DM db/db mice 1.0 g/kg 6 weeks Hypoglycemic effect ②④⑤ Sun et al. (2019)
Apurified RG polysaccharide (RGP) extracted from Rehmannia Libosch. ex Fisch. and C.A.Mey T1DM Kunming mice 20, 40 and 80 mg/kg 4 weeks Anti-diabetic properties Zhou et al. (2015)
Coix lacryma L. polysaccharides T2DM C57BL/6J mice 175, 350 mg/kg 4 weeks Hypoglycemic effect Xia et al. (2021)
Polygonatum sibiricum Redouté polysaccharide (APS) Diabetic cardiomyopathy SD rats 1 g/kg/d 16 weeks Inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis Chen et al. (2023)
(Iso)Flavonoids Mangiferin Diabetic cardiomyopathy SD rats 20 mg/kg 16 weeks Mitigated diabetic cardiomyopathy Hou et al. (2013)
Diabetic cardiomyopathy SD rats 20 mg/kg 16 weeks Ameliorated hyperglycemia, lowered left ventricular systolic pressure, and reduced apoptosis rate ①③④ Jin and Arroo (2023)
Puerarin Diabetes-associated cardiovascular disease SD rats 100, 150 mg/kg 21 days Exerted a protective effect on HUVECs and diabetic vasculopathy ③④ Wei et al. (2024)
Myocardial injury in diabetes SD rats 20, 40 mg/kg 5 weeks Improved insulin resistance and myocardial injury ①③④ Kong et al. (2023)
Luteolin Diabetic cardiomyopathy SD rats 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg 5 weeks Alleviated cardiac pathological changes such as cardiac remodeling, inflammation and oxidative stress, improved cardiac function ①④ Chen (2023)
The flavonoid component (FC) of Agrimonia pilosa
Ledeb. (Rosaceae)
Adipocytes IR C57BL/6 mice 1.0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 mg/kg/d 4 weeks Improved glucose metabolism ①④ Guo et al. (2023)
Naringenin T1DM with myocardial injury C57BL/6 25, 50, 75 mg/kg 6 weeks Reduced blood sugar and improved myocardial injury Li et al. (2020b)
Total flavonoids of Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack leaves (TFMP) Diabetic cardiomyopathy Wistar rats 40, 80 mg/kg 12 weeks Enhanced the secretion index of pancreatic beta cells, improved lipid metabolism disorders ①④ Sun et al. (2020)
Phenanthraquinone Tanshinone IIA Diabetic cardiomyopathy SD rats 2, 4 mg/kg 6 weeks Improved cardiac pathological changes ③④ Tao et al. (2019)
C57BL/6J mice 10, 50 mg/kg/day 2 months Alleviated the pathological changes in the hearts of diabetic mice, ameliorated the cytopathological morphology of cardiomyocytes, reduced the cell death rate ③④ Wu et al. (2023a)
Tanshinone I T2DM SD rats 30, 60, 120 mg/kg 3 weeks Reduced blood glucose levels, and an alleviated insulin resistance Wu et al. (2023b)
Phenolic compounds Curcumin T2DM Kunming mice 50 mg/kg 4 weeks Prevented the rise of blood sugar, reduced insulin resistance and improved insulin sensitivity, lowered the contents of TC and LDL-C, and increased the content of HDL-C; increased the activity of GSH-Px and reduced the contents of MDA, TNF-α and CRE ①④⑤⑥ Chen et al. (2022)
Diabetic Cardiomyopathies New Zealand rabbits 300 mg/kg/d 3 months Increased nuclear transfer of Nrf2 and the expression of Gpx4 and HO-1, reduced glucose induced myocardial cell damage, and reversed myocardial cell damage caused by the ferroptosis inducer erastin ③④⑥ Wei et al. (2022a)
Rat H9C2 cardiomyocytes Not mentioned 24 h
RPE, a polyphenol-enriched extract of Rosa rugosa Thunb. (Rosaceae) T2DM SD rats 37.5, 75, 150 mg/kg bw 4 weeks Improved glycogen synthesis and blood glucose regulation Liu et al. (2017)
Resveratrol Heart microvascular injury in diabetes Primary rat CMECs 2 μmol/L 48 h Attenuated diabetic cardiac microvascular injury Cai (2024)
Terpenoids Diterpenoid components IR hepatocytes HepG2 50, 200 μMol/L 24 h Hypoglycemic activity Sun (2020)
Euscaphic acid, Tormentic acid, Corosolic acid, Maslinic acid, Oleanolic acid, Ursolic acid Not mentioned Alpha glucosidase Not mentioned Not mentioned Inhibited alpha glucosidase activity Chen et al. (2020b)
Others TPX,derived from the mangiferin derivative 1,3,6,7-tetrapropylene acyloxy ketone IR hepatocytes HepG2 and normal hepatocytes HL7702 cell 8.75, 17.5, 35, 70, 140, 280 μM 24 h Restored the insulin signaling pathway, increased liver glycogen synthesis, and potentially protects insulin-resistant hepatocytes from glucose metabolism disorders Fan et al. (2023)

①Reduce inflammation and regulate the immune system. ②Regulate the intestinal flora. ③Inhibit the apoptosis or death of islet cells or cardiovascular cells, and enhance cell function. ④Affect cellular stress (endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress). ⑤Regulate glucose and lipid metabolism, and reduce insulin resistance. ⑥Other mechanisms (affecting the cellular microenvironment, ion channels, activating autophagy, and affecting signal pathways).