Related mechanisms of Rhein improving glucose and lipid metabolism

Rhein is a compound extracted from the rhizome of traditional Chinese medicine rhubarb. According to the existing researches, rhein regulates glycolipid metabolism and improves insulin resistance through multiple signaling pathways such as mitogen activated protein kinase, phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase-protein kinase B, nuclear factor-kappa B, AMP-activated protein kinase, and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor. A deeply understanding of Rhein on glycolipid metabolism is conducive to better exert its pharmacological role, thus providing new ideas and approaches for the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, hyperlipidemia and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Key words: Rhein; Glycolipid metabolism; Molecular mechanisms