Medicinal Plants

Abstract

Introduction: In the recent decades, diabetes mellitus has emerged as a major health problem in the world and it is hampering the development economically and socially. Indeed, about 80% of the masses in the developing countries depend upon ancient systems of herbal formulations for their primary health concerns. Plants-based drugs and their constituents play a pivotal role in prevention and treatment of various diseases and are considered as rich resources that can be used in drug development and synthesis in future. The purpose of this systematic review is to analyze hypoglycemic properties of medicinal plants. Aim: The study is primarily focused to understand the historical and modern documentation related to treatment of diabetes and also to create the attention of pharmacologists, botanists, and phytochemists for further scientific research in the field. Results: This present review mainly focuses on 50 medicinal plants with hypoglycemic properties. Various research papers and studies have been reviewed on the role of diverse active chemical biomolecules associated with antidiabetic properties. Conclusion: Since time immemorial, plants have been the potential source of medicine and therefore the novel form of healthcare known. The hypoglycemic properties of medicinal plants verified by several researchers have confirmed the effective management of diabetes mellitus. This study concluded that the profiles of plant species were generally used for treatment of disease and having antidiabetic properties can be an effective source for the development of safer oral hypoglycemic agents.