Anti-Diabesity Middle Eastern Medicinal Plants and Their Action Mechanisms

Abstract

Over the last four decades, the escalation in diabetes and obesity rates has become epidemic all over the world. Diabesity describes the strong link between T2D and obesity. It correlates deeper with the elevated risks of developing cardiovascular disease hypertension, stroke, and several malignancies. Therapeutic usage of medicinal plants and natural products in the treatment of diabetes and obesity has long been known to physicians of Greco-Arab and Islamic medicine. Improved versions of their abundant medicinal plant-based formulations are at present some of the most popular herbal treatments used. Preclinical and clinical data about medicinal plants along with their bioactive constituents are now available, justifying the traditionally known therapeutic uses of products derived from them for the prevention and cure of obesity-related T2D and other health problems. The aim of this review is to systematize published scientific data dealing with the efficiency of active ingredients or extracts from Middle Eastern medicinal plants and diet in the management of diabesity and its complications. Google Scholar, MEDLINE, and PubMed were searched for publications describing the medicinal plants and diet used in the management of T2D, obesity, and their complications. The used keywords were “medicinal plants” or “herbals” in combination with “obesity,” “diabetes,” “diabetes,” or nephropathy. More than 130 medicinal plants were identified to target diabesity and its complications. The antidiabetic and anti-obesity effects and action mechanisms of these plants are discussed here. These include the regulation of appetite, thermogenesis, lipid absorption, and lipolysis; pancreatic lipase activity and adipogenesis; glucose absorption in the intestine, insulin secretion, glucose transporters, gluconeogenesis, and epigenetic mechanisms.

In vitro antioxidant and free-radical scavenging activities of polar leaf extracts of Vernonia amygdalina

“…Medicinal plants and natural products has long been known to practitioners of Greco-Arab, Islamic medicine and Unani medicine as a therapeutic use in the treatment of diabetes and obesity which are strongly correlates deeper with the elevated risks of developing cardiovascular disease hypertension, stroke, and several malignancies [ 5 ]. Interestingly, many of the plants have analgesic properties, which can be used to relieve pain such as chronic kidney disease [ 6 ]. Plants are able to create an expansive number of diverse bioactive compounds [ 5 , 7 ].…”

Modulatory Effects of Leave and Fruit Extracts of Ficus sycomorus on Cytostatic and Inflammatory Mediators in Monocultures and Co-cultures of Human Keratinocyte (HaCat) and Human Monocyte (THP-1) Cell Lines

“…Psoriasis is managed with great efficacy and safety employing traditional Greco-Arab and Islamic medicine [16][17][18]. Psoriasis patients in Palestine were reported to use 33 medicinal plants belonging to 26 families [20]. The crude extracts from plant or animal sources contain different classes of bioactive compounds.…”

A Review of the Anti-Obesity Effects of Wild Edible Plants in the Mediterranean Diet and Their Active Compounds: From Traditional Uses to Action Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targets

“…Nigella sativa and its active component, thymoquinone, have been reported to have numerous medical applications, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, hypotensive, anti-nociceptive, anti-histaminic, and anti-microbial effects [31,32,37]. Black seed and thymoquinone have been shown to ameliorate the effects of obesity-related low-grade inflammation by stimulating the proliferation and function of natural killer cells, monocyte function, T-cell-based immunity, and macrophage activity [31,32,37]. A meta-analysis of 14 clinical trials investigated the effects of long-term Nigella sativa supplementation on body weight in individuals with metabolic disorders, such as diabetes, prediabetes, autoimmune hypothyroidism, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and obesity.…”