Research Progress of the Active Components and Mechanism of Cyclocarya paliurus in Regulating Glucolipid Metabolism

Cyclocarya paliurus, the sole plant in its genus belong to the Juglans family, has attracted much attention due to its well-known modulation effect on glucose and lipid metabolism. Up to now, a variety range of bioactive natural compounds such as polysaccharides, triterpenes, flavonoids, and phenolic acids have been isolated from Cyclocarya paliurus. It has been reported that Cyclocarya paliurus exerts its therapeutic effect on glucose metabolism via multiple pathways, including protecting the pancreatic islet cells, regulating the insulin signaling pathway, and enhancing the uptake of utilization of glucose. On the other hand, the lipid metabolism modulation effect of this medicinal plant has been linked to the regulation of related signal cascade as well as inhibition of lipid peroxidation. In this review, we summarized the recent progress on mechanism studies regarding abovementioned activities of Cyclocarya paliurus, highlighting the potential application of this plant in the treatment of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obesity and other metabolic diseases.