Herbal Medicines for Diabetes Management and its Secondary Complications

Abstract

: Diabetic Mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder that has attracted worldwide concern. DM is caused due to lack of insulin or ineffective production of insulin in the pancreas. A total of 463 million people have diabetes mellitus in 2019 and it was predictedto raise upto 578 million by 2030 and 700 million by 2045. High blood sugar gives rise to many complications like diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, atherosclerosis, hypercoagulability, cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, abdominal obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, cerebrovascular disease, coronary artery disease, foot damage, skin complications, Alzheimer’s disease, hearing impairment, and depression. These life-threatening complications make diabetes more severe than other diseases. Many synthetic drugs are developed, but still cure is not provided by any of the molecules up to this date. Continuous use of some synthetic agents caused many severe side effects, and thus the demands for non-toxic, affordable drugs are still awaited. Traditional treatments have been an extremely valued source of medicine all over the human history. These are extensively used throughout the world indicating that herbs are a growing part of modern and high-tech medicines. The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed a total of 21,000 plants, which are used for medicinal purposes around the world, among them more than 400 plants are available for the treatment of diabetes. Despite the fact that there are many herbal drugs are available for treating diabetes, only a small number of these plants have received scientific and medical evaluation to assess their efficacy. Trigonella foenum-graecum, Allium sativum, Caesalpinia bonduc, Ferrulaassafoetida, etc., are some of the medicinal plants used for antidiabetic therapy. The presence of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, terpenoids and coumarins are responsible for the antidiabetic nature of the medicinal plants. These constituents have shown a reduction in blood glucose levels. Picnogenol, acarbose, miglitol, and voglibose are some of the examples of marketed drugs, which are obtained from the natural origin and used as antidiabetic drugs. The active principles derived from the plants work through many antidiabetic mechanisms, which include inhibition of α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B activities. One of the major advantages of herbal drugs is the low level of side effects attributed to these medicines, and this attracted the various researchers to develop new molecules for treatment of diabetes. In this review, emphasis will be given on the recent advances in the field of herbal drugs to treat diabetes, to prevent the secondary complications arising due to diabetes, and various herbal molecules in different stages of clinical trials.

Flavonoids as Human Intestinal α-Glucosidase Inhibitors

“…Although mild α-amylase inhibition is beneficial for blunting glucose spikes, excessive inhibition may induce starch indigestion and abnormal bacterial fermentation, causing abdominal pain, bloating or cramping [22]. Acarbose can induce these undesirable effects due to its potent inhibition of human and mammalian pancreatic α-amylase [11].…”

“…Some flavonols excreted in urine can be used as biomarkers of flavonol intake and are significantly associated with a lower T2D risk [21]. Many flavonoids extracted from plants inhibit α-amylase and α-glucosidases activities in vitro and improved postprandial glycaemia in diabetic animal models and limited human studies [22,23]. Very few studies have reported on the inhibition of isomaltase, however.…”

Emodin Alleviates High-Glucose-Induced Pancreatic β-Cell Pyroptosis by Inhibiting NLRP3/GSDMD Signaling

“…As of 2019, the number of people with DM has reached a total of 463 million. It is estimated that the number will reach 578 million by the year of 2030 and 700 million by 2045 [1]. Driven by the lack of insulin or ineffective production of insulin in the pancreas, high blood sugar gives rise to many life-threatening diabetic complications and makes DM a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, renal failure, amputations, and blindness [2].…”

GC-MS Analysis of Chemical Constituents of Hydroalcoholic Leaf Extract of Cissampelos Pareira and Their Anti-Diabetic Activity

“…The presence of phytoconstituents such as terpenoids, flavonoids and coumarins are counted for the anti-diabetic nature of the medicinal plants. Picnagenol, acarbose, miglitol, and voglibose are some of the marketed anti-diabetic drugs of natural origin [4]. Cissampelos pareira (C.pareira) is a climbing herb distributed in tropical and subtropical war regions of Africa, Asia, and America [5].…”