Plant-based corosolic acid: future anti-diabetic drug?
Diabetes is one of the nation's most prevalent, debilitating and costly diseases. For diabetes, frequent insulin treatment is very expensive and may increase anti-insulin antibody production, which may cause unwanted side effects. Corosolic acid may also have some efficacy in the treatment of diabetes, but without induction of anti-insulin antibodies. Recently, corosolic acid from Lagerstroemia speciosa L. leaf extracts has been reported to act via an indirect mechanism (unlike insulin) in animal experiments. The insulin-complementary anti-diabetic therapeutic value observed in these Japanese preliminary clinical trials has led to renewed interest in the biosynthesis of this compound. So far, there has been no clear evidence for a corosolic acid biosynthetic pathway in plants. This article provides possible roles of corosolic acid and hypothetical information on the biosynthetic pathway in plants.
Sivakumar
Ganapathy
G
Arkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA. sivakumar@libero.it
Vail
Daniel R
DR
Nair
Vipin
V
Medina-Bolivar
Fabricio
F
Lay
Jackson O
JO
D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D031563:Lagerstroemia / Q000378:metabolism*; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014315:Triterpenes; C113861:corosolic acid