Polyphenols and type 2 diabetes: A prospective review

• Polyphenol-rich diets are inversely correlated to the incidence of type 2 diabetes.
• Bioactive polyphenols regulate signaling pathways to exert metabolic effects.
• Several bioactive polyphenols result from the liver and the gut microbiota metabolism.
• Identification of the polyphenol metabolomes in the blood and the tissues is imperative.
• New techniques allow identification of a large number of metabolites in small volumes.

Nutritional overload and a sedentary life-style are directly associated with the growing prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is inversely correlated to the incidence of T2D, being these beneficial effects largely attributed to phenolic compounds. Human studies using the most promising polyphenol-rich foods to ameliorate T2D have not been as successful as in vitro and animal studies have pointed out, evidencing the need for new approaches in order to reduce this current gap. Nevertheless, modern techniques have not only optimized the extraction and the characterization of phenolic metabolites, but have also allowed a better understanding of the impact of polyphenols on the gut microbiota. In this article we provide an overview of the mechanisms implicated in the beneficial metabolic effects of polyphenols and we highlight the investigation of the metabolomes associated to the ingestion of polyphenol-rich foods. These strategies will help in the identification of bioactive phenolic metabolites from various fruits and plants, leading to the discovery of novel cultivars to generate more potent functional foods and nutraceuticals against T2D.

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