Phytochemical analysis of Phlomis armeniaca Willd. plant extract and investigation of its antidiabetic potential on in-vitro preadipocyte cell lines

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disease caused by defects in insulin secretion, insulin receptor binding, or both, leading to elevated blood sugar levels and complications that progressively impair the patient's quality of life, potentially culminating in multiple organ failures and death. It is known that many antidiabetic medications prescribed to patients and recommended for continuous use have various unwanted effects, such as kidney and gastrointestinal system disorders. Therefore, in addition to the need for new antidiabetic drugs with fewer side effects, there are scientific studies conducted around the world on plants to explore herbal supports that can improve glucose regulation and aid modern medical therapy approaches. In our research, we aimed to investigate the phytochemical composition of the extract of Phlomis armeniaca Willd., a species that is endemic to Turkey and has some ethnobotanical uses in certain regions, in order to determine its potential antidiabetic effect. The dried aerial parts of P. armeniaca Willd. were used to prepare methanol (MeOH) and aqueous extracts. HPLC analyses revealed that the MeOH extract had a richer bioactive component content compared to the aqueous extract in terms of total phenolic compounds (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). Subsequently, the cytotoxic effects of these extracts were examined in 3T3-L1 cell culture using the MTT assay. The obtained IC50 values consistently indicated that both the aqueous and MeOH extracts derived from the plant exhibited significant cytotoxic potential. Additionally, based on visual and quantitative analyses conducted through the Oil Red O staining method, both extracts were found to significantly inhibit lipid accumulation in adipocytes. In the later stages of the study, the effects of the aqueous and MeOH extracts of P. armeniaca on the morphology of mature adipocyte cells were investigated in detail using phase-contrast microscopy and Giemsa staining methods, and it was observed that these extracts notably adversely affected the morphology of mature adipocyte cells.