A REVIEW ON MEDICINAL PLANTS WITH POTENTIAL ANTI DIABETIC ACTIVITY

Abstract

Medical plants play an important role in the management of diabetes mellitus especially in developing countries where resources are meager. This review presents the profiles of plants with hypoglycaemic properties, reported in the literature. The profiles presented include information about the scientific name, family, methodology used, the degree of hypoglycaemic activity and the active agents. Out of a large number of herbal drugs stated to possess anti-diabetic activity in the Ayurvedic system of medicine of India, Cinnamomi cassiae  (Lauraceae), Tournefortia hartwegiana Steud, (Boraginaceae), Averrhoa bilimbi Linn (Oxalidaceae), Commelina communis L. (Commelinaceae), Origanum vulgare  (Lamiaceae), Caralluma attenuate (Apocynaceae), Murraya koenigii  (Rutaceae), Aerva lanata (Amaranthaceae), Picrorrhiza kurroa  (Scrophulariaceae), and Eugenia jambolana (Myrtaceae) were widely used to treat diabetes by the traditional practitioners over many centuries. The present review circumscribes Indian plants that have been pharmacologically tested and shown to be of some value in Diabetes Mellitus. The effects of these plants may delay the development of diabetic complications and correct the metabolic abnormalities. Moreover, during the past few years some of the new bioactive drugs isolated from hypoglycaemic plants showed antidiabetic activity with more efficacy than oral hypoglycaemic agents used in clinical therapy.

Keywords: Hypoglycaemic, antidiabetic, medicinal plants, diabetes mellitus.
 

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