Methyl Caffeate Isolated from the Flowers of Prunus persica (L.) Batsch Enhances Glucose-Stimulated Insulin Secretion

Phenolic compounds from natural products are considered effective enhancers of insulin secretion to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The flowers of Prunus persica (L.) Batsch also contain many phenolic compounds. In this study, the extract of flowers of P. persica (PRPE) exhibited an insulin secretion effect in a glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) assay, which led us to isolate and identify the bioactive compound(s) responsible for these effects. Compounds isolated from PRPE were screened for their efficacy in INS-1 rat pancreatic β-cells. Among them, caffeic acid (5), methyl caffeate (6), ferulic acid (7), chlorogenic acid (8), naringenin (11), nicotiflorin (12), and astragalin (13) isolated from PRPE increased GSIS without inducing cytotoxicity. Interestingly, the GSIS effect of methyl caffeate (6) as a phenolic compound was similar to gliclazide, an antidiabetic sulfonylurea drug. Western blot assay showed that methyl caffeate (6) enhanced the related signaling proteins of the activated pancreatic and duodenal homeobox-1 (PDX-1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ), but also the phosphorylation of the total insulin receptor substrate-2 (IRS-2), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and Akt, which influence β-cell function and insulin secretion. This study provides evidence that methyl caffeate (6) isolated from PRPE may aid in the management of T2DM.