Role of Medicinal Plants in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Medicinal plants play a significant role in the treatment of diabetes mellitus which is a serious metabolic disorder. Traditional plants are reported to have significant anti-diabetic properties with no harmful side effects. They are rich sources of anti-diabetic compounds such as flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolics, and tannins that improve the efficiency of pancreatic tissues by increasing insulin secretion or decreasing the intestinal absorption of glucose. However, these over-the-counter drugs are expensive and associated with several complications. Herbal medicines are gaining importance as they are cost-effective and also display improved therapeutic effects with lesser side effects. The present analysis includes available medicinal plants used for treating diabetes complications. This study provides useful information about the different medicinal plants for treating diabetes-associated complications. The aim of the study is to categorize and summarize the available information on medicinal plants with anti-diabetic properties and suggest outlooks for future research.