Plant non-starch polysaccharides that inhibit key enzymes linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a metabolic disease becoming ever more common, is the result of disturbed glyco- and lipid metabolism. On the basis of their inhibitory effects against several key enzymes linked to T2DM, synthetic antidiabetic agents have been developed and used for diabetic therapy, some with adverse side effects. Fortunately, many plant non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) have been shown to possess inhibitory effects on the same T2DM-related enzymes. Through a simple literature search we found that α-amylase, α-glucosidase, lipase, and dipeptidyl-peptidase IV are the enzymes most often reported in the context of T2DM. In this short review we discuss published evidence for inhibition of these enzymes and the implications for treating T2DM.