Liu N, Yan WT, Xiong K. Plantamajoside: A potentially novel botanical agent for diabetes mellitus management. World J Diabetes 2025; 16(5): 104311 [DOI: 10.4239/wjd.v16.i5.104311]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Kun Xiong, PhD, Director, Professor, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, No. 172 Tongzipo Road, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, China. xiongkun2001@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Cell Biology
Article-Type of This Article
Editorial
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Diabetes. May 15, 2025; 16(5): 104311 Published online May 15, 2025. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v16.i5.104311
Plantamajoside: A potentially novel botanical agent for diabetes mellitus management
Na Liu, Wei-Tao Yan, Kun Xiong
Na Liu, Wei-Tao Yan, Kun Xiong, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, China
Author contributions: Liu N wrote the original draft; Yan WT reviewed and edited the manuscript; Xiong K was the senior author and provided supervision and validation of the writing; All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82303047, No. 82372507, No. 82172196 and No. 32401046; and Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province, No. 2022JJ40801.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Kun Xiong, PhD, Director, Professor, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, No. 172 Tongzipo Road, Changsha 410013, Hunan Province, China. xiongkun2001@163.com
Received: December 18, 2024 Revised: February 8, 2025 Accepted: February 20, 2025 Published online: May 15, 2025 Processing time: 129 Days and 3.7 Hours
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus (DM) and its associated complications are metabolic disorders characterized by hyperglycemia, leading to high morbidity and reduced quality of life worldwide. This global healthcare problem imposes substantial personal and social burdens that warrant comprehensive and in-depth investigation. Plantamajoside (PMS), a naturally bioactive ingredient derived from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Plantaginis Herba, exhibits a range of pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and antitumor effects, and has been traditionally utilized in clinical applications such as removing phlegm and clearing heat. However, the potential biological impact of PMS on DM remains largely unexplored. Recent research by Wang et al reported the therapeutic potential of PMS in type 2 DM (T2DM) and elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms. Specifically, PMS mitigates endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis of pancreatic β-cells by upregulating DnaJ heat shock protein family (Hsp40) member C1, thereby alleviating pancreatic β-cell damage and ameliorating T2DM progression. Given the novel and protective effect of PMS on pancreatic β-cells, this natural ingredient emerges as an innovative and promising therapeutic strategy for improving DM outcomes. PMS has been shown to modulate key signaling pathways involved in multiple types of regulated cell death (RCD), such as apoptosis and autophagy. Various forms of RCD, including apoptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy, and PANoptosis, contribute to the pathogenesis of DM and its associated complications. There is significant potential for PMS to exert protective effects on β-cells against these forms of RCD and to provide a multitarget approach to DM therapy. Therefore, further exploration into whether PMS shields pancreatic β-cells from these types of RCD, coupled with elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms, will facilitate the development of more effective therapeutic strategies for DM. Additionally, further investigation on PMS in conjunction with other therapeutic approaches is warranted to enhance therapeutic efficacy for DM.
Core Tip: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global health challenge impacting millions of lives, necessitating the urgent development of effective therapeutic agents. Wang et al observed that plantamajoside (PMS), a bioactive component derived from traditional Chinese medicine, alleviates pancreatic tissue damage and protects β-cells from apoptosis by upregulating DNAJC1. This research underscores the potential of PMS in DM treatment and suggests that other regulated cell death pathways may also be involved in DM progression as modulated by PMS. Further investigations are essential to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and to expand our understanding of PMS as a therapeutic agent for DM.
