Poonam Yadav
Post Graduate Student, SHEAT College of Pharmacy, Varanasi, AKTU Lucknow (U.P.)
Prashant Kumar Singh
SHEAT College of Pharmacy, Varanasi, AKTU Lucknow (U.P.)
Rajeev Shukla
SHEAT College of Pharmacy, Varanasi, AKTU Lucknow (U.P.)
Abstract
Zinc has emerged as a promising component in the development of anti-diabetic agents due to its crucial role in insulin storage, secretion, and insulin mimetic properties. This review explores the progress in utilizing zinc (II) complexes, formed with various organic ligands, to develop potent anti-diabetic agents with enhanced pharmacological properties. We systematically examine published research on the anti-diabetic effects of zinc (II) complexes, sourced from reputable databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. Complexes are categorized based on their precursor ligands, and a critical analysis reveals promising leads but also significant scientific gaps. While synthetic ligands dominate the research landscape, their toxicity profiles remain largely unreported, raising concerns about clinical applicability. Conversely, complexes formed with natural ligands like plant polyphenols, maltol, hinokitiol, and supplements such as ascorbic acid, L-threonine, and L-carnitine exhibit promising anti-diabetic properties with minimal safety concerns yet remain underexplored and lack clinical validation. We advocate for a paradigm shift towards investigating these natural ligands and supplements in anti-diabetic zinc (II) complexes, coupled with rigorous toxicity evaluations for synthetic ligands, to address safety concerns and enhance clinical relevance.
Keywords: Zinc (II) complexes, anti-diabetic agents, insulin mimetic, pharmacological properties, scientific gaps, natural ligands, toxicity evaluation, clinical validation.