Viridicatol is a polar metabolite first isolated from Penicillium cyclopium and P. viridicatum by Birkinshaw and collaborators in 1963. Viridicatol is a 2,3-dihydroxyquinoline which, like its analogue viridicatin, exists in equilibrium with its keto-tautomer. Viridicatol acts as an anti-inflammatory agent by suppressing the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, via inhibition of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway in LPS stimulated cells. Further, viridicatol is a selective inhibitor of PTP1B, a potential drug target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Viridicatol revealed potent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus.

Sinensetin is a methylated flavone found in certain citrus fruits. pocess potent antiangiogenesis and anti-inflammatory, sinensetin enhances adipogenesis and lipolysis. Sinensetin is a selective inhibitor of α-glucosidase with IC50 value of 0.66 mg/ml. Alpha-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibition could the mechanisms through which sinensetin exert its antidiabetic activity, indicating that it could have potential use in the management of non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Sinensetin inhibits inflammatory gene expression and STAT1 activation. It has meaningful anti-inflammatory properties which may be utilized in the development of novel anti-inflammatory treatments.

Syringin is a compound, extracted from Eleutherococcus senticosus. It is a component of herbs, which are used in traditional Chinese medicine. Several studies have demonstrated the multiple pharmacological properties of syringin, including anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and immunomodulatory effect. It was tested in several preclinical studies against type 2 diabetes, cardiac hypertrophy, edema, and arthritis. Syringin was shown to inhibit ICAM-1 expression and is considered as a possible treatment for acute gout.

4’-Methoxychalcone (4-MC) is chalcone derivative that has shown diverse pharmacological properties, including anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory activities. 4’-Methoxychalcone significantly enhances differentiation of preadipocytes, which is accompanied by the induction of adipogenic genes including PPARgamma and adiponectin. 4’-Methoxychalcone considerably upregulated PPARgamma-induced transcriptional activity and reversed the inhibitory effect of TNF-alpha on adipocyte differentiation and adiponectin expression. 4’-Methoxychalcone could be utilized for the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome and diabetes.

Benzyl-beta-D-glucoside (benzyl beta-D-glucopyranoside, BG) is a benzoyl glucoside, a natural substance that can be found in Pteris ensiformis. Benzyl beta-D-glucopyranoside, the constituent of the fruit of Prunus mume has been shown to relieve tension in experimental menopausal model rats (M-rats) caused by ether stress.

Flavonol (3-Hydroxyflavone) is a practically insole synthetic compound, which is not found naturally in plants. 3-hydroxyflavone can be found in a number of food items such as brassicas, pomegranate, red raspberry, and fenugreek, which makes 3-hydroxyflavone a potential biomarker for the consumption of these food products. Flavonol serves as a model molecule as it possesses an excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) effect to serve as a fluorescent probe to study membranes for example or intermembrane proteins.

Stevia is the common word to refer to the plant stevia rebaudiana which is the sweetest of the stevia species of plants and historically used as a sweetening agent. Several studies have suggested that in addition to their sweetness, steviosides and their related compounds, including rebaudioside A and isosteviol, may offer additional therapeutic benefits. These benefits include anti-hyperglycaemic, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-diarrheal, diuretic, and immunomodulatory actions. Isosteviol inhibits DNA polymerases and human DNA topoisomerase II. It also retards growth of three different types of human cancer cells and inhibits inflammation induced by TPA. Isosteviol had been in phase II clinical trials for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Vindoline (VDL) is an indole alkaloid, possessing hypoglycemic and vasodilator effects, and it is also the prodrug of many vinca alkaloids. Vindoline as one of the alkaloids is highly present in young leaves and twigs of Catharanthus roseus, and oral administration of vindoline (100 mg/kg) had an acute hypoglycemic effect on rats. Vindoline acted as a Kv2.1 inhibitor able to reduce the voltage-dependent outward potassium currents finally enhancing insulin secretion. It protected β-cells from the cytokines-induced apoptosis following its inhibitory role in Kv2.1. Moreover, vindoline (20mg/kg) treatment significantly improved glucose homeostasis in db/db mice and STZ/HFD-induced type 2 diabetic rats, as reflected by its functions in increasing plasma insulin concentration, protecting the pancreatic β-cells from damage, decreasing fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), improving OGTT and reducing plasma triglyceride (TG).

Picolinic acid is an organic compound, is a derivative of pyridine with a carboxylic acid substituent at the 2-position. Picolinic acid is a bidentate chelating agent of elements such as chromium, zinc, manganese, copper, iron, and molybdenum in the human body. Many of its complexes are charge-neutral and thus lipophilic. After its role in absorption was discovered, zinc dipicolinate dietary supplements became popular as they were shown to be an effective means of introducing zinc into the body. Picolinic Acid is an endogenous metabolite of L-tryptophan (TRP) that has been reported to possess a wide range of neuroprotective, immunological, and anti-proliferative effects within the body. However, the salient physiological function of this molecule is yet to be established. The synthesis of picolinic acid as a product of the kynurenine pathway (KP) suggests that, similar to other KP metabolites, picolinic acid may play a role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory disorders within the CNS and possibly other organs.

Cinnamaldehyde is one of the active compounds found in cinnamon. It was reported that cinnamaldehyde has anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatiry activity. Cinnamon is a common prescription compound in traditional Chinese medicine and it is used as a dietary supplement all over the world. Cinnamon dietary supplement Cinnamonforce (min. 35% cinnamaldehyde) was tested in phase II clinical trials and demonstrated therapeutic activity in patients with type 2 diabetes. The mechanism of cinnamaldehyde possibly involves the activation of PPAR gamma/delta receptors. Cinnamaldehyde is partially metabolized into cinnamic acid in the stomach and small intestine, and is almost completely metabolized into cinnamic acid in the liver. Cinnamic acid is believed to be the active metabolite, which is responsible for anti-diabetic properties of cinnamaldehyde.