Abstract

Globally, the pervasiveness of chronic, non-communicable disease diabetes mellitus is growing by leaps and bounds. It is one of the major causes of premature morbidity and mortality worldwide. Almost 3.2 million people die of diabetes across the world every year. The worldwide prevalence of diabetes is 6.4% (corresponding to 285 million people); this varies from 10.2% in the Western Pacific to 3.8% in the African region and expected to grow up to 7.4% (439 million) of the adult population by 2030. In the last 20 years there has been a threefold increase in the prevalence of diabetes. It is estimated that there are 30 to 33 million diabetics in India now, and every fourth diabetic in the world today is an Indian. Indians are genetically more susceptible to diabetes and the WHO predicts the number of diabetics in India would go up to 80 million by 2030. WHO has also issued a warning that India is going to be the diabetes capital of the world with Chennai emerging as the diabetic capital of India. Many plants possessing hypoglycemic principles/ properties are known to exist in nature. Also a large number of polyherbal formulations (PHF’s) derived from these plants are presently being prescribed as medicinal/dietary supplements for diabetes mellitus. Even the WHO (World Health Organization) approves the use of plant drugs for different diseases, including diabetes mellitus. However, these formulations lack proper standardization of the active constituents. There is an urgent need to address to the issues of scientific authenticity about their efficacy, safety and their interaction with modern allopathic drugs. The paper reviews composition, active principles and pharmacological effects of some important plants which are widely used in commercially available herbal and polyherbal formulations and provides a detailed list of plants reported to possess potential anti-diabetic activity.

Highlights

  • Diabetes mellitus is a major endocrine disorder affecting more than 10% population in the contemporary world [1]

  • Treatment with sulfonylureas may be associated with hypoglycemia, flatulence, weight gain, hyperinsulinemia, paresthesias, transient leucopenia, agranulocytosis, dementia and it is contraindicated in nursing mothers [4]

  • The current review focuses on the commercially available herbal and PHFs and provides an exhaustive list of plants with potential anti-diabetic activity

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Summary

Introduction

Diabetes mellitus is a major endocrine disorder affecting more than 10% population in the contemporary world [1]. Its occurrence in more affluent societies is spectacular and of general concern [2] It is a debilitating metabolic disorder and robs persons of their energy and vitality. In spite of the introduction of the hypoglycemic agents, diabetes and related complications continue to be a major medical problem. Treatment of this disease with insulin and its derivatives is an invasive process and make the patients more susceptible to hypoglycemic episodes, premature atherosclerosis due to hyperinsulinemia, lipodystrophy [3]. Treatment with sulfonylureas may be associated with hypoglycemia, flatulence, weight gain, hyperinsulinemia, paresthesias, transient leucopenia, agranulocytosis, dementia and it is contraindicated in nursing mothers [4]. The need of the hour is to look for a treatment which checks the glucose levels in circulation system, but at the same time avoids the adverse effects associated with the currently available

United States and Canada
Plants possessing hypoglycemic activity
Findings
Summary

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