# Quercetin as an Anti-Diabetic Agent in Rodents—Is It Worth Testing in Humans?

## TL;DR

Quercetin shows anti-diabetic effects in rodents by improving metabolic and hormonal functions, suggesting it may be worth testing in humans.

## Contribution

The paper reviews quercetin's pleiotropic anti-diabetic mechanisms and safety in rodents, advocating for human clinical trials.

## Key findings

- Quercetin mitigates diabetes-related hormonal and metabolic disorders in rodents.
- It reduces oxidative and inflammatory stress through multiple enzymes and signaling pathways.
- No side effects were observed in rodent studies, supporting its potential for human trials.

## Abstract

Quercetin is a biologically active flavonoid compound that exerts numerous beneficial effects in humans and animals, including anti-diabetic activity. Its action has been explored in rodent models of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. It was revealed that quercetin mitigated diabetes-related hormonal and metabolic disorders and reduced oxidative and inflammatory stress. Its anti-diabetic effects were associated with advantageous changes in the relevant enzymes and signaling molecules. Quercetin positively affected, among others, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glucose transporter-2, glucokinase, glucose-6-phosphatase, glycogen phosphorylase, glycogen synthase, glycogen synthase kinase-3β, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, silent information regulator-1, sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1, insulin receptor substrate 1, phosphoinositide 3-kinase, and protein kinase B. The available data support the conclusion that the action of quercetin was pleiotropic since it alleviates a wide range of diabetes-related disorders. Moreover, no side effects were observed during treatment with quercetin in rodents. Given that human diabetes affects a large part of the population worldwide, the results of animal studies encourage clinical trials to evaluate the potential of quercetin as an adjunct to pharmacological therapies.