Diabetes mellitus, especially type 2 (T2DM), is a major public health problem globally. DM is characterized by high levels of glycemia and insulinemia due to impaired insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity of the cells, known as insulin resistance. T2DM causes multiple and severe complications such as nephropathy, neuropathy, and retinopathy causing cell oxidative damages in different internal tissues, particularly the pancreas, heart, adipose tissue, liver, and kidneys. Plant extracts and their bioactive phytochemicals are gaining interest as new therapeutic and preventive alternatives for T2DM and its associated complications. In this regard, isorhamnetin, a plant flavonoid, has long been studied for its potential anti-diabetic effects. This review describes its impact on reducing diabetes-related disorders by decreasing glucose levels, ameliorating the oxidative status, alleviating inflammation, and modulating lipid metabolism and adipocyte differentiation by regulating involved signaling pathways reported in the in vitro and in vivo studies. Additionally, we include a post hoc whole-genome transcriptome analysis of biological activities of isorhamnetin using a stem cell-based tool.

Nitraria retusa is an edible halophyte shrub that is known for its high importance in folk medicine and ecology. . The fruits are tasty, eaten by humans and birds and are used to prepare a refreshing juice. The fleshy and bitter leaves of N. retusa, mixed with water, were used to make poultices, which are applied to reduce swellings. The dry leaves are used, in decoction, as a substitute for tea. Many phytochemical studies on this plant showed its diversity in active compounds such as phenolic compounds. In this work, the biochemical analysis and biological effects were investigated for water-ethanol/methanol/acetone extracted from leaves, flowers, stems, and fruits using two different extraction methods. Results revealed that polyphenol amounts were highest in leaves extracted by hydroethanolic decoction method with 46.97 mg GAE/g DW. Ethanol 70% leaves extracts has the highest contents of condensed tannins with 26.06 mg Cat/g DW by decoction, followed by methanol 70% water. Furthermore, four flavonoids were identified by HPLC-DAD: Luteolin 7-O-glucoside, Rutin, Kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside, and Isorhamnetin 3-O-rutinoside. For antioxidant activity, ethanol fraction was renowned for a high total antioxidant activity with 45.82 mg GAE/g DW and an important antiradical activity with an IC₅₀ of 22.05 µg/mL. The ethanolic extract showed the best activity inhibiting the production of NO• at an IC₅₀ of 36.60 µg/mL. These results show that this plant could be a promising source of bioactive substances and can be used for the production of juices and functional food supplements.

Plant biodiversity is endowed with a huge composition and variability of active molecules known for their therapeutic effects against several diseases. In this current work, several phenolic compounds are subject of in silico evaluation of their interactions with six severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) enzymes to evaluate the binding mode and mechanism of phenolic compounds interactions with SARS-CoV-2 enzymes. Results of molecular docking and data analysis revealed that the importance of interactions was dependent to the phenolic class of tested ligand; tannin, biflavone and flavonoid glycoside were the most interactive classes. Among the top three ranked molecules recording lower binding energy against each virus protein target, In conclusion, it was found that Amentoflavone, Dieckol, Bilobetin, Punicalagin, Tellimagrandin-I, Tannic acid, Sciadopitysin, Ginkgetin and Chebulagic acid could be a promising antiviral drug since they present more important binding energy than conventional ones. Their interactions were justified by the Wenn diagram and Ramachandran plot. However, these phenolic compounds recorded an important bioavailability score and found fulfilling most of the drug-likeness criteria such as Lipinski's rule. Clearly, all observations point to further required works aiming to examine more deeply the possibility of using these molecules that could be probably a subject of pre-clinical studies.

This study aimed to assess the efficacy of Nitraria retusa extract (NRE) in reducing weight, body mass index (BMI), body fat composition (BF), and anthropometric parameters among overweight/obese women, comparing the results with those of a placebo group. Overweight/obese individuals participated in a 12-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Body weight, BMI, body composition, and anthropometric parameters were assessed. Additionally, lipid profile and safety evaluation parameters were evaluated. Compared to the placebo group, the NRE group exhibited a mean weight loss difference of 2.27 kg (p < 0.001) at the trial’s conclusion. Interestingly, the most significant weight reduction, amounting to 3.34 kg ± 0.93, was observed in younger participants with a BMI > 30.0. Similarly, BMI and BF% significantly decreased in the NRE group, contrary to the placebo group (p = 0.008 and p = 0.005, respectively). The percentage of body water (BW) (p = 0.006) as well as the ratio of LBM/BF (p = 0.039) showed a significant increase after the NRE intervention compared to the placebo. After age adjustment, all variables, except LBM/BF, retained statistical significance. Additionally, all anthropometric parameters were significantly reduced only in the NRE group. Most importantly, a significant reduction in Triglyceride (TG) levels in the NRE group was revealed, in contrast to the placebo group (p = 0.011), and the significance was still observed after age adjustment (p = 0.016). No side effects or adverse changes in kidney and liver function tests were observed in both groups. In conclusion, NRE demonstrated potent antiobesity effects, suggesting that NRE supplementation may represent an effective alternative for treating obesity compared to antiobesity synthetic drugs.

In the present study, we aimed to explore the feasibility, compliance, and potential benefits of Nitraria retusa extract (NRE) intervention in both healthy (BMI ≤ 24.9 Kg/m²) and overweight/obese adults (BMI > 25 Kg/m²). A total of 98 participants, including 37 healthy individuals and 61 overweight/obese adults, were randomly assigned to either a low-dose (500 mg/day) or a high-dose (2000 mg/day) NRE intervention group. Plasma lipid biomarkers, liver and kidney functions, general hematology, and blood glucose levels were measured at the baseline and 10 days after intervention. While the lipid profile of the healthy participants did not show any statistically significant changes, the obese participants in the high-dose group experienced a significant decrease in triglyceride levels (within-group difference p value = 0.004) and an increase in HDL levels (within-group p value < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in other parameters, indicating that NRE at the given doses was safe. Furthermore, the study had impressive compliance and acceptability, with over 90% of participants completing the intervention and diligently following the study protocol. This pilot study represents the first investigation into the feasibility, acceptability, and potential benefits of NRE intervention on lipid profiles in human volunteers.