Proteome profiling as tool to determine the effectiveness of traditional Africa therapies for Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) involves multiple organ dysfunction accompanied by a chronic inflammatory state and oxidative stress resulting from a combination of factors such as hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia. Although medication to treat T2DM is currently available, several limitations and harmful effects of anti-hyperglycaemic diabetes synthetic drugs make it necessary to investigate novel drug therapies that are safer and more efficient. The biggest challenges remain in the management of T2DM and its complications. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the early onset of diabetes and the progression of the disease individually by using pharmacological and traditional therapies. Three traditional African herbs and a standard Western medicine for treating diabetes mellitus were selected for consideration in this study. The herbs selected were Trigonella foenum-graecum (T. foenum-graecum), Cinnamon verum (C. verum) and Artemisia afra (A. afra). The standard Western medicine chosen was metformin. These treatments were selected to assess potential effects on regulating the pro-inflammatory marker response and metabolism disorder bio-actives of mimic diabetic cells using in vitro assays. The murine macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7) cultures were selected to assess the effects of plant extracts and metformin on the inflammatory response and metabolic disorder biomarkers regulation. The effects on RAW 264.7 cells were monitored in the absence or presence of high glucose and lipopolysaccharide. The objectives of this study were to extract and analyse the chemical components of the plants T. foenum-graecum, C. verum and A. afra to verify their main bioactive compound concentrations; demonstrate cells expressing cytokines; assess the effects of plant extracts on pro-inflammatory (cytokines and chemokines) and biomarker activities in the presence or absence of high-glucose and lipopolysaccharide stimulation; evaluate the effects of herb extracts in comparison to metformin. In conclusion, this study presents parameters of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors of mimic diabetes cell expression. These protein molecules can be biomarkers and may be used for reducing diabetic complications because of low-grade/chronic inflammation, oxidation and lipid metabolism. They may also describe defects in the pathophysiology of T2DM and might offer an advantage in drug screening. Furthermore, evaluation of the effectiveness of traditional plants has revealed that the best herbal agent is A. afra ‒ it may have better anti-inflammatory action and the potential to regulate metabolism disorders, in the diabetic condition, than C. verum and T. foenum-graecum. These natural herbal extracts are more effective than metformin in inhibiting the pro-inflammatory response and regulation of oxidant activity in high glucose. This finding may be significant in contributing to increasing evidence that natural herbal therapies have potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may result in the better regulation of dyslipidaemia. It may also open the way forward to novel therapeutic strategies for managing diabetic complications with minimal side effects. Patients with T2DM should be monitored and supplemented with antiinflammation and anti-oxidant therapies, combined with Western medicine, to avoid the progression of diabetes complications and achieve the most beneficial treatment.