Considering the diversity of the recent information gathered on the nucleolus, it is clear that this is a very dynamic and rapidly progressing research area. The most promising aspect is the contribution of new models (pseudo-NORs, Prieto and McStay 2007) , new species (not only yeast), new approaches (Miller spreads using mutants, proteomics) and new questions (for instance the role of siRNAs or antisens RNAs in the activity of the nucleolus). Antidiabetes and Anti-obesity Activity of Lagerstroemia speciosa The leaves of Lagerstroemia speciosa (Lythraceae), a Southeast Asian tree more commonly known as banaba, have been traditionally consumed in various forms by Philippinos for treatment of diabetes and kidney related diseases. In the 1990s, the popularity of this herbal medicine began to attract the attention of scientists worldwide. Since then, researchers have conducted numerous in vitro and in vivo studies that consistently confirmed the antidiabetic activity of banaba. Scientists have identified different components of banaba to be responsible for its activity. Using tumor cells as a cell model, corosolic acid was isolated from the methanol extract of banaba and shown to be an active compound. More recently, a different cell model and the focus on the water soluble fraction of the extract led to the discovery of other compounds. The ellagitannin Lagerstroemin was identified as an effective component of the banaba extract responsible for the activity. In a different approach, using 3T3-L1 adipocytes as a cell model and a glucose uptake assay as the functional screening method, Chen et al. showed that the banaba water extract exhibited an insulin-like glucose transport inducing activity. Coupling HPLC fractionation with a glucose uptake assay, gallotannins were identified in the banaba extract as components responsible for the activity, not corosolic acid. Penta-O-galloyl-glucopyranose (PGG) was identified as the most potent gallotannin. A comparison of published data with results obtained for PGG indicates that PGG has a significantly higher glucose transport stimulatory activity than Lagerstroemin. Chen et al. have also shown that PGG exhibits anti-adipogenic properties in addition to stimulating the glucose uptake in adipocytes. The combination of glucose uptake and anti-adipogenesis activity is not found in the current insulin mimetic drugs and may indicate a great therapeutic potential of PGG. Type 2 diabetes has developed into a worldwide epidemic (1) . Ironically, the dramatic increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes can be attributed to the rapid economic development and correlated to changes in lifestyle within the last 50 years. Type 2 diabetes is closely associated with obesity. Up to 90% of the patients in the US with type 2 diabetes are either overweight or obese (2, 3) . It seems likely that the readily available high calorie food and a sedentary life style are major causes for obesity. Obesity contributes to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Reducing obesity and stopping weight gain constitutes a way to slow down the rate of occurrence of type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance, which is defined as defective insulin signaling and a decreased insulin efficiency to induce glucose transport from the blood into key target cells such as muscle and fat (adipocyte) cells (3) . In general, obesity leads to hyperglycemia, which in turn leads to and exacerbates insulin resistance. Insulin resistance, if not treated, results in hyperinsulinemia and eventually leads to full blown type 2 diabetes (3, 4) . Obesity or excessive adiposity, particularly visceral adiposity, contributes to and worsens insulin resistance (2, 5) . Most antidiabetic drugs are hypoglycemic or anti-hyperglycemic (blood glucose level reducing). However, most of these drugs are, to different extents, weight gain promoting (adipogenic) (6, 7) . Thus, these drugs treat one of the key symptoms of type 2 diabetes, hyperglycemia, but exacerbate the condition of being overweight or obese, one of the leading causes of type 2 diabetes. Therefore, while these drugs are beneficial over the short term, they are not optimal for long term health of type 2 diabetic patient. The most desirable situation would be the development of new types of antidiabetic drugs that are either hypoglycemic or anti-hyperglycemic without the side effect of promoting weight gain (adiposity). Herbal medicines known to be useful in diabetes treatment may be able to lead to compounds with such a combination of ideal therapeutic properties (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) .