Recent advances in the development of sesquiterpenoids in the treatment of type 2 diabetes

Background: Treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) through dietary terpenoids is receiving a promising interest and sesquiterpenoids' importance for food and pharmaceutical industries is mainly based on the existed scientific works. Scope and approach: Sesquiterpenoids might contribute to prevent or delay T2DM by inhibiting key enzymes relevant for hyperglycemia, modulating beta-cells function, targeting insulin signaling route, etc. Sesquiterpenoids also have been demonstrated to stimulate glucose uptake by enhancing glucose transport, repressing glucose production, or improving lipid metabolism. Key findings and conclusions: In this review, we summarized the latest developments of sesquiterpenoids in the treatment of type 2 diabetes as well as sesquiterpenoids-rich herbs against key enzymes relevant to hyperglycemia, and discussed their underlying molecular mechanisms of anti-diabetic potential. We also suggested a better evaluation of the pharmacological profile of sesquiterpenoids and their derivate with a clear-cut choice of possible human pathologies.