How Plant Compounds Fight Fatty Acid Effects on Muscles

Obesity and inactive lifestyles are causing a global surge in type 2 diabetes. One key issue is that fatty foods boost blood fatty acid levels, making it harder for insulin to work properly. This can lead to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Certain proteins, like JNK, IKK-NF-κB, and STAT3, play a role in this resistance. Previously, scientists found that two plant compounds, carnosic acid (CA) and rosmarinic acid (RA), can help improve muscle insulin resistance caused by fatty acids. They do this by activating AMPK and reducing mTOR-p70S6K signaling. In a recent study, researchers looked at how CA and RA affect these proteins. They found that fatty acids boost the activity of these proteins, but CA and RA can counteract this. This suggests that these plant compounds might help muscles respond better to insulin by influencing the activity of these proteins.