Effects of d-pinitol on diabetes mellitus: an updated review

Abstract

Abstract Background The awareness in the consumption of plant-based food has gained attention in the recent years. Phytochemicals are thought to play a critical role in health promotion and in the prevention and management of chronic diseases. These compounds have reported to produce little or no side effects and are thus significantly used in treating various ailments. d-Pinitol is the chief active compound found in soy and soy products. Several studies have shown the health benefits of d-pinitol such as antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. In this review, an attempt has been made to review the effects of d-pinitol against diabetes mellitus in pre-clinical and clinical studies. Methodology Journal articles were sourced and filtered with relevant keywords on “d-pinitol and diabetes mellitus”. Scientific databases, including PubMed, NCBI, Google Scholar, Science Direct, SciFinder and Web of Science, were accessed to identify the most relevant articles on the effect of d-pinitol in diabetes mellitus. The study duration was from September 2021 to February 2022. Results This comprehensive review demonstrates the application of d-pinitol against diabetes mellitus. Most of the animal and clinical studies included in this review reported that d-pinitol treatment effectively regulated hyperglycemia and prevented insulin resistance. Conclusions d-Pinitol could serve as an effective anti-hyperglycemic agent for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Further research to study its safety and mechanism of action is recommended in order to employ this compound for clinical trials.