ABSTRACT
Insulin resistance in metabolic syndrome results, at least, from the overconsumption of dietary carbohydrates, cholesterol, and triglycerides leading to the formation of visceral adiposity, increased plasma-free fatty acids, and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which at cellular level decrease insulin receptor functionality also known as insulin resistance. Thus, inhibiting the absorption of dietary carbohydrates and fats with natural products or extracts of medicinal plants constitutes one therapeutic strategy to prevent or manage insulin resistance in metabolic syndrome. Decrease in plasma glucose may be produced by decreased intestinal absorption of starch, and flavones in medicinal plants have the ability to hamper the enzymatic decomposition of starch and starch-derived products and sucrose. Degradation products of starch are hydrolyzed in the jejunum into free absorbable glucose by 4 brush border α-glucosidases arranged into 2 enzymatic complexes termed as sucrase—isomaltase and maltase—glucoamylase.
