Alinah Mildred Chauke - Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Private Bag X۶۸۰, Pretoria, South Africa
Leshweni Jeremiah Shai - Department of Biomedical Sciences, Tshwane University of Technology, Private Bag X۶۸۰, Pretoria, South Africa
Motatelo Alfred Mogale - Department of Biochemistry, Sefako Makgatho Health Science University, Medunsa, South Africa

Lowering blood glucose levels by enhancing glucose uptake and GLUT۴ translocation is an important strategy in glucose homeostasis in insulin-sensitive tissues. Similarly, traditional medicinal plants are used by several traditional healers, and plants are a possible avenue for the discovery and development of antidiabetic drugs. The study aimed to investigate the effects of Cordia grandicalyx Oberm.  bark, fruit, and leaf extracts through glucose uptake activity by preadipocytes, liver and skeletal muscle cells, relative to their capability on increasing GLUT۴ translocation. In addition, the protein expression and phosphorylation of diabetes-related proteins were performed. The C. grandicalyx extracts increased glucose uptake activity by enhancing GLUT۴ translocation. Moreover, it was established that the co-usage of insulin with plant extracts increased the glucose uptake activity in comparison to insulin. The extracts upregulated total insulin receptor substrate expression and increased the phosphorylation of Akt levels. This data, therefore, suggests that C. grandicalyx enhances glucose uptake by modulating insulin signalling, potentially through GLUT۴ translocation and upregulation of diabetes-related proteins, possibly mimicking the PI۳-K/Akt pathway. This, therefore, suggests that C. grandicalyx is a possible candidate for the management of diabetes.

Medicinal plants, Diabetes mellitus, Insulin signals, Cordia grandicalyx