Omics Technologies and Development of Anti-diabetic Therapies from Prospective Natural Products

The emergence of omics technologies has revolutionised modern biology and also offers promise to addressing epidemic chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Sustained peripheral insulin resistance and an irreversible systemic alteration and progressive decline of physiological functions in T2DM patients are borne of modern unhealthy lifestyle and contribute to disability and mortality worldwide. Earlier-onset and prolonged disease state underscore the need for both prophylactic and ameliorating therapeutics to impact the chronicity of T2DM and progressive comorbidities. This complexity has not been solved with prolonged use of tissue-target screens for synthetic drug discovery. The modern disease of T2DM can be impacted with recognised anti-diabetic agents derived from traditional medicines and phytochemicals. Exploit of phytochemicals employed in medicinal practices can now be validated with omics technologies. Constructive omics testing offers new and meaningful insights to improving drug discovery and implementation. This chapter reviews the application of genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and network analysis to ascertain candidature of anti-diabetic agents arising from green tea, citrus, and garlic isolates including (−)-epigallocatechin gallate, tangeretin, and allicin. The restoration of the old natural products and new technologies will progress pharmacological and pathological insights into T2DM beyond current allopathic measures.