The Umbelliprenin-CTAB cellulose nanocrystal delivery system prevents hyperglycemia in diabetic rats by activating the insulin receptor IR/PDK1 pathway

Today, with the prevalence of metabolic diseases such as diabetes, which can be caused by insulin resistance, the need for targeted drug delivery seems essential. Using Nano crystals that contain antioxidant materials such as Umbelliprenin and are surface modified may be a solution to this problem. This study aims to investigate the IR/PDK1 pathway in the presence of cellulose nano-crystal surface-modified with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide containing Umbelliprenin (UCC-NCs delivery system). The UCC-NCs delivery system was synthesized and characterized by FTIR and zeta-potential methods. Forty-two Wistar male rats (aged 12 weeks, 250-300 g) were divided into seven groups of six. After induction of diabetes with a single dose of intraperitoneal injection of STZ (60 mg.kg^{- 1}), the treatment groups were treated orally with doses of 5 and 10 mg.kg^{- 1}UM and Nano crystals. After the treatment period, the rats were anesthetized, and blood was taken from the rats' retro-orbital plexus area, and their serum glucose, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride, and HDL levels were measured. RNA was extracted from the tissue samples, and cDNA was synthesized, and the expression of IR and PDK1 genes was examined by real-time. Pathological changes were evaluated in the prepared sections. The results showed that Nano crystals were much better and more effective than UM in improving glucose and blood factors. Gene expression analysis showed a significant increase in the expression of IR and PDK1 genes in the groups receiving Nano crystals compared to UM. Therefore, nano crystals were probably able to prevent hyperglycemia by activating the IR/PDK1 pathway through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It is suggested that this drug delivery system be further tested for metabolic diseases such as diabetes.