Abstract
In vitro and animal model studies are of great interest for selecting new phytochemicals, including polyphenols with antioxidative properties, as candidates for antidiabetic drugs. This review provides evidence from a critical literature data analysis on the effects of plant extract supplementation in diabetes mellitus management. We considered and meta-analyzed the efficacy of oral supplementation of plant extracts in animal model studies and examined physiological and oxidative stress parameters. Finally, 23 articles were included in the meta-analysis, revealing three plants with experimentally confirmed in vivo and in vitro antidiabetic properties: Gymnema montanum, Momordica charantia and Moringa oleifera. The following parameter changes resulted from an investigation of the supplementation: reduced oxidative stress, decreased insulin resistance, increased insulin release, reduced adiposity, and a modulatory effect on glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, as well as attenuation of diabetes-associated weight loss, reduced fasting blood glucose and lowered oxidative status. A comparison of Gymnema montanum versus Glybenclamide revealed the superiority of extracts over drug administration in some aspects. Although the analyzed extracts are promising candidates for antidiabetic treatment, there is much inconsistent data in the literature. Therefore, ultimate references for using these compounds in the prevention of diabetes are currently not applicable.
Highlights
According to the WHO, diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most widespread chronic diseases, and the number of cases is rising rapidly
Reduction of glycemia was observed in three cases indicating the benefits of all three extracts for supplementation in glycemic control as pooled Mean Difference (MD), respectively, for G. montanum: −204.98; and M. charantia:
Extract supplementation revealed more robust hypoglycemic activity in comparison with the antidiabetic drug Glybenclamide in the case of G. montanum extracts, pooled MD: −57.71, its potential influence on animal metabolism mediated by the insulin increase
Summary
According to the WHO, diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most widespread chronic diseases, and the number of cases is rising rapidly. The number of affected patients in 2014 reached 422 million, an almost two-fold increase compared to 1980 [1]. Current estimations predict that diabetic patients will reach 578 million by 2030 and 700 million by 2045 [2]. Oxidative stress (OS) is one of the leading causes of the development of diabetes and its complications [3]. Organisms have an integrated antioxidant defense system to block the negative impact of reactive oxygen species (ROS), diabetes can cause this system to fail. Supplementation with exogenous plant-derived antioxidants might possess capacities to avert oxidative stress-induced diseases
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