Oxidative stress is a major cause of various types of tissue damage, especially endothelial dysfunction, which occurs in diabetes mellitus. In a healthy organism the formation of ROS occurs under the strict control of the biological system, on the contrary, under severe stress, many diseases, as well as diabetes, the production of ROS increases curtly. Due to its high reactivity, an increase in the amount of SOR leads to oxidative stress, which disturb the balance between the antioxidant and prooxidant systems. The main prin-ciple of the therapeutic strategy to reduce oxidative stress in diabetes mellitus is to inhibit the formation of free radicals. The results of clinical and experimental experiments demonstrate the administration of antioxidants, especially vitamin E, insulin resistance and therapeutic effect in diabetic conditions. Recently, the use of synthetic, as well as herbal antioxidants, along with other drugs in the pharmacotherapeutic correction of a number of pathologies in medical practice has become widespread. The development of a more effective pharmacotherapeutic strategy for diabetes with antioxidants and the synthesis of potent agents are promising for further research. Key words: diabetes mellitus, antioxidant, oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species (ROS), free radicals