ArticleDiabetology & metabolic syndrome2021
The effects of citrulline supplementation on meta-inflammation and insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Article in Diabetology & metabolic syndrome, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 22 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of Citrulline or Watermelon Supplementation on Body Composition: A Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis.Nutrients · 2025Pooled it
- Trial
- Combined Vs. Single Supplementation of L-Citrulline and Sodium Bicarbonate During Sprint Interval Training in Basketball Players: Effects on Physical Performance and Hormonal Adaptations.Journal of sports science & medicine · 2025Trial
- The effect of quercetin and citrulline on cycling time trial performance.Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition · 2024Trial
- Impaired arginine, citrulline, and glutamine metabolism in type 2 diabetes: insights from a stable isotope study.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2026Article
- Watermelon Nutritional Composition with a Focus on L-Citrulline and Its Cardioprotective Health Effects-A Narrative Review.Nutrients · 2025Review
- Examining gut microbiota and metabolites to clarify mechanisms ofWorld journal of diabetes · 2025Article
- Effect of Sevelamer versusmedRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2025Article
- Lactobacillus murinus alleviates insulin resistance via promoting L-citrulline synthesis.Journal of endocrinological investigation · 2025Article
- Effects of blenderized watermelon consumption on satiety and postprandial glucose in overweight and obese adolescents.Metabolism open · 2025Article
- Differential expression of phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B and Toll-like receptor/nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathways in experimental obesity Wistar rat model.Open life sciences · 2024Article
- Supplementing L-Citrulline Can Extend Lifespan inBiomolecules · 2023Article
- The Effect of L-Citrulline Supplementation on Outcomes of Critically Ill Patients under Mechanical Ventilation; a Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.Archives of academic emergency medicine · 2023Article
- Profile of gut microbiota and serum metabolites associated with metabolic syndrome in a remote island most afflicted by obesity in Japan.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- Carotid Artery Disease in Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes: Risk Factors and Biomarkers.Journal of clinical medicine · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThis study aimed to examine the effects of L-citrulline (l-CIT) on low-grade inflammation (meta-inflammation) and insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients since it has exhibited hypoglycemic and anti-inflammatory effects in most animal studies.
methodsIn this double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial, 54 patients with T2D referred to specialized clinics of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences were assigned to L-CIT group (receiving orally one 3 g sachet of L-CIT daily before breakfast) or placebo group (receiving orally one 3 g sachet of microcrystalline cellulose daily before breakfast) for eight weeks. Serum levels of fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), CIT, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) were determined. The quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) and homeostatic model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-B) index were estimated at the baseline and post-intervention.
resultsNo significant difference was observed between the studied parameters at the baseline. L-CIT supplementation significantly reduced not only serum concentrations of fasting blood glucose but also HbA1c, serum IL-6 and TLR-4 levels in the L-CIT group (p < 0.05). Additionally, at the end of the study serum levels of CIT increased significantly in L-CIT group compared to the baseline and placebo group. Fasting blood glucose concentrations and HbA1c significantly decreased after the intervention compared to the placebo. There was no significant difference in serum IL-6, TLR-4, MCP-1 levels, as well as QUICKI and HOMA-B index between the two groups, even after adjusting for baseline variables and confounders.
conclusionsOur findings revealed that, although L-CIT supplementation significantly reduced fasting blood glucose concentrations, HbA1c and increased serum levels of CIT. It seems it could not significantly improve insulin sensitivity and meta-inflammation biomarkers. Additional studies with longer duration and different doses of L-CIT are required. Trial registration The protocol of this clinical trial is registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (registration no: IRCT20100209003320N16 at www.irct.ir ).
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