Quinoa alleviates the diabetic symptoms of db/db mice by upregulating insulin signaling and modulating gut microbiota composition

Quinoa is ideal for dietary intervention or alleviation of type 2 diabetes mellitus, but its effects on diabetes and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, the effects of dietary regimens with different quinoa ratios on T2DM symptoms, insulin signaling pathways and gut flora were tested by using db/db mice. The results showed that T2DM symptoms in db/db mice were improved after quinoa dietary intervention, including lower fasting blood glucose, weight loss, enhanced glucose tolerance, lower insulin resistance(IR), improved dyslipidemia, and reduced degree of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Interestingly, we also demonstrated that the quinoa diet also activated insulin signaling and improved gut flora diversity. The above results demonstrate that quinoa diet can improve T2DM symptoms in db/db mice by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and altering gut microflora diversity, and that quinoa has potential to be a functional food ingredient and therapeutic agent for the treatment of T2DM. • The quinoa diet improves T2DM indexes, such as FBG, IR, lipid profiles and NAFLD in db/db mice. • The quinoa diet alters the PI3K/AKT insulin signaling pathway and glucose uptake in db/db mice muscular tissue. • The quinoa diet improves gut flora diversity, enriching certain genera with positive effects on sugar and lipid metabolism in db/db mice.