eng Oriental Scientific Publishing Company Biosciences Biotechnology Research Asia 0973-1245 2026-05-27 23 2 58956 article Ubaidur Rahman Khan 1 Kishor Otari 1 Ajay Kale 1 Department of Pharmacology, Navsahyadri Institute of Pharmacy, Pune, India. Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by persistent hyperglycemia and progressive development of microvascular and macrovascular complications. Increasing evidence identifies oxidative stress and redox-sensitive inflammatory signaling as central mechanisms underlying diabetes-associated organ injury. Apocynin, a naturally occurring methoxy-substituted phenolic compound, has gained attention as a redox-modulating agent with potential therapeutic relevance in diabetes. The present review summarizes the chemical characteristics, mechanistic actions, and protective effects of apocynin in experimental models of diabetic complications. Apocynin primarily acts through inhibition of NADPH oxidase assembly, thereby limiting excessive reactive oxygen species generation and suppressing downstream activation of redox-sensitive pathways. Through modulation of oxidative and inflammatory cascades, apocynin demonstrates protective effects in diabetic nephropathy, neuropathy, cardiomyopathy, and retinopathy. In addition to reducing oxidative burden, apocynin supports endogenous antioxidant defenses and improves cellular and metabolic stability. However, despite these promising findings, no clinical studies have yet evaluated apocynin in patients with diabetes or its associated complications. Although preclinical findings are promising, translational challenges, including pharmacokinetic limitations and limited clinical evaluation, remain to be addressed. Collectively, apocynin emerges as a promising candidate targeting convergent redox-inflammatory pathways implicated in diabetic complications. https://www.biotech-asia.org/vol23no2/apocynin-in-diabetes-modulation-of-oxidative-stress-and-inflammatory-signaling/ Apocynin; Diabetes Mellitus; NADPH Oxidase; Oxidative Stress; Reactive Oxygen Species