Abstract
Objective Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a long-life metabolic disorder, characterized by high blood glucose levels. The hyperglycemic condition generally leads to irreversible nerve injury and vascular damage. Among different types of diabetes, type 2 is more common and has spread all over the world. Although various therapeutic approaches have been developed to control type 2 DM, regulating blood glucose levels has still remained a controversial challenge for patients. Also, most prescription drugs cause different side effects, such as gastrointestinal disorders. Thus, developing novel and efficient antidiabetic agents possessing fewer adverse effects is in high demand. Method The literature was comprehensively surveyed via search engines such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus using appropriate keywords. Results Medicinal plants, both extracts and isolated active components, have played a significant role in controlling the blood glucose levels. Good-to-excellent results documented in the literature have made them a precious origin for developing and designing drugs and supplements against DM. Centaurea spp. have been traditionally used for controlling high blood glucose levels. Also, the antidiabetic properties of different species of Centaurea have been confirmed in recent studies through in vitro assays as well as in vivo experiments. Conclusion Potent results encouraged us to review their efficacy to open a new horizon for development of herbal antidiabetic agents.
Highlights
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disease which is described by hyperglycemia and high blood sugar levels in postprandial and fasting state
Inhibition of α-glucosidase leads to the reduction of disaccharide hydrolysis, and inhibition of α-amylase disrupts the breakdown of starch to simple sugars. Some of these compounds are clinically used, and the results have shown significant reduction of blood glucose levels in patients [10, 11]. e most important side effect related to the approved Food and Drug Administration (FDA) antitype 2 DM drugs, including voglibose, acarbose, miglitol, sulphonylureas, and thiazolidine, is gastrointestinal problems such as swelling, abdominal distraction, diarrhea, and meteorism, which need more attention. us, investigation of different therapeutic agents with lower side effects is in high demand
The antidiabetic activity of some Centaurea spp., which has been studied for controlling hyperglycemia, was reviewed. e results obtained from in vitro and in vivo studies confirmed the efficacy of Centaurea spp. for the treatment of type 2 DM
Summary
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disease which is described by hyperglycemia and high blood sugar levels in postprandial and fasting state. It is characterized by defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both of them [1]. E total number of diabetic patients in the world has been anticipated to rise from 171 million in 2000 to 366 million in 2030 [2]. En, β cells of the pancreas respond to the high blood glucose levels by producing more insulin to manage the situation. High blood glucose levels in type 2 DM can be controlled by using
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