Metabolic and Hormonal Modulation by Phytoecdysteroids in Mammals

Ecdysteroids (insect molting hormones) were demonstrated long ago to display interesting pharmacological effects on mammals. They are present in many medicinal plants and are thought to contribute to their beneficial effects, particularly anti-diabetic and anabolic ones. Their mechanism of action has been investigated and is still a matter of debate; it appears to involve crosstalk between a membrane estrogen receptor and the Mas receptor of angiotensin 1–7, but additional targets have been proposed based on in silico docking experiments. Due to the widespread tissue distribution of these receptors, ecdysteroid effects are pleiotropic, and these molecules appear to be able to treat various metabolic diseases. The availability of large amounts of pharmacological-grade 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E, the major natural phytoecdysteroid) has allowed the development of clinical trials concerning, in particular, muscle performance (young sportsmen or sarcopenic patients) and pulmonary diseases (COVID-19). Another promising area concerns the elimination of parasitic protozoans, which proceeds through a direct effect on the parasites themselves. Ecdysteroids represent promising and safe biomolecules which could be useful for treating many different human diseases.