A review on potential anti-diabetic mechanisms of chitosan and its derivatives.

Diabetes is a highly complex disorder that impacts the quality of human life and the prevailing drugs used for the
diabetic management have explicit side effects. There is currently a push for dietary supplements from natural
sources, which can serve as a better alternative than the commercially available anti-diabetic medications. This
article focuses on the vital mechanisms and blood-glucose lowering effects exerted mainly by chitosan derivatives
viz., chitooligosaccharides, low and high molecular weight chitosans in ameliorating diseases associated
with hyperglycemia. In vitro and in vivo studies with chitosans and its derivatives have been proved to exhibit the
anti-diabetic properties mediated through insulin resistance, glucose uptake and lipid metabolism. The underlying
mechanisms depicted that chitosan derivatives induce PI3K/AKT pathway in order to facilitate antihyperglycemic
activity. It can be elucidated that chitosan being a well-established bioactive macromolecule
with outstanding biological activities can be an effective anti-diabetic supplement.