In vitro evaluation of the anti-diabetic potential of Helichrysum petiolare Hilliard & B.L. Burtt using HepG2 (C3A) and L6 cell lines

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Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complex multi-factorial metabolic anomaly characterized by glucose intolerance and hyperglycaemia, either due to relatively impaired insulin secretion or reduced effectiveness of insulin in facilitating glucose uptake. The worldwide prevalence of diabetes has increased drastically in the last 30 years, and the current statistics suggest the number is to double in the next 20 years. The liver and the skeletal muscle are some of the major tissues responsible for the maintenance of the body’s glucose homeostasis. Glucose gains access into the hepatocytes and the myocytes through GLUT2 and GLUT4 receptors, respectively. The GLUT2 receptor is a transmembrane carrier protein that enables protein facilitated glucose transport into the hepatocytes; it does not need insulin. The GLUT4 receptor, however, needs to be translocated through insulin activation from the endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane to facilitate glucose uptake. A postprandial spike in blood ...