Investigating the role of 1,8-Cineole in mitigating ferroptosis in a HFSD/STZ diabetes mellitus type 2-induced model: A GEO data analysis approach

Fructus Alpiniae Zerumbet (FAZ), a folk medicinal herb used by the Miao people in Guizhou, China, is rich in 1,8-Cineole — a bioactive monoterpene oxide with antioxidant and neuroprotective properties. However, its therapeutic potential against pancreatic β cells dysfunction, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), remains unexplored. This study investigated the molecular mechanism by which 1,8-Cineole mitigates hyperglycemia induced β cells ferroptosis. Using high-fat and high-sugar diet / streptozotocin (HFSD/STZ) diabetes mellitus type 2-induced model (DM) and high glucose (HG)-treated β cells model. We demonstrated that 1,8-Cineole ameliorated pancreatic islet structural disorganization and pathological glycogen deposition in diabetic mice. Mechanistically, 1,8-Cineole suppressed lipid peroxidation and iron overload while restoring the expression of ferroptosis markers (GPX4 and COX2). It concurrently resolved autophagy deficiency, evidenced by upregulated LC3II/I ratio, enhanced Beclin-1 expression, and stabilized p62. Bioinformatic analysis of diabetic pancreatic transcriptomes (GEO dataset GSE25724) linked ferroptosis and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling to β cells dysfunction. Cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) and molecular docking confirmed direct binding of 1,8-Cineole to PI3K with favorable binding energy at the catalytic site. Pharmacological validation using 740-YP (YP, a PI3K agonist) and LY294002 (LY, a PI3K inhibitor) revealed that 1,8-Cineole exerted its anti-ferroptotic effects via PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway activation. Co-treatment with 740-YP synergistically enhanced β cells protection, whereas LY294002 abrogated 1,8-Cineole’s efficacy. Collectively, these findings unveil 1,8-Cineole as a novel PI3K/AKT/mTOR activator that rescues β cells function via coordinated regulation of autophagy and ferroptosis, thereby providing a mechanistic foundation for its therapeutic application in DM.