Flavonoids from Plant Source as Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B Inhibitors: In Silico Update

Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) enzyme, type 1 non-transmembrane protein tyrosine phosphatase, is extensively expressed in different organs in the body and is linked to different signal transduction pathways including insulin signaling pathway. PTP1B inhibition exhibits significant effects on glucose homeostasis and glucose balance in blood and tissue. Several types of synthetic/natural compounds have been tested. Among these compounds, flavonoids showed high potency as PT-P1B inhibitors. Different studies revealed that flavonoids could be promising PTP1B inhibitors with antidiabetic and weight loss effects. In recent years, the discovery of new flavonoids with PTP1B inhibition activity has been facilitated by the application of molecular modeling and computational methods. This review highlights the research efforts conducted in the discovery of flavonoids as PTP1B inhibitors and the role of computer-aided drug design techniques utilized in the discovery process.