Title:Effects of Pterostilbene on Diabetes, Liver Steatosis and Serum Lipids
Volume: 28
Issue: 2
Author(s): Saioa Gómez-Zorita, Iñaki Milton-Laskíbar, Leixuri Aguirre, Alfredo Fernández-Quintela*, Jianbo Xiao and María P. Portillo
Affiliation:
- Nutrition and Obesity Group, Department of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and Lucio Lascaray Research Institute, Vitoria,Spain
Keywords:
Pterostilbene, glycaemic control, insulin resistance, diabetes, dyslipidemia, liver steatosis, nonalcoholic
fatty liver disease.
Abstract: Pterostilbene, a phenolic compound derived from resveratrol, possesses greater bioavailability
than its parent compound due to the presence of two methoxyl groups. In this review, the beneficial
effects of pterostilbene on diabetes, liver steatosis and dyslipidemia are summarized. Pterostilbene
is a useful bioactive compound in preventing type 1 diabetes, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
in animal models. Concerning type 1 diabetes, the main mechanisms described to justify the
positive effects of this phenolic compound are increased liver glycogen content and hepatic
glucokinase and phosphofructokinase activities, the recovery of pancreatic islet architecture, cytoprotection
and a decrease in serum and pancreatic pro-inflammatory cytokines. As for type 2 diabetes,
increased liver glucokinase and glucose-6-phosphatase and decreased fructose-1,6-biphosphatase
activities are reported. When insulin resistance is induced by diets, a greater activation of insulin signaling
cascade has been reported, increased cardiotrophin-1 levels and liver glucokinase and glucose-
6-phosphatase activities, and a decreased fructose-1,6-biphosphatase activity. Data concerning
pterostilbene and liver steatosis are scarce so far, but the reduction in oxidative stress induced by
pterostilbene may be involved since oxidative stress is related to the progression of steatosis to
steatohepatitis. Finally, pterostilbene effectively reduces total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and serum
triglyceride levels, while increases HDL-cholesterol in animal models of dyslipidemia.