Alternative natural therapeutic plants and diabetes mellitus

Document Type : Mini reviews

Author

Pharmacognosy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Egyptian Russian University, Badr City, Cairo-Suez Road, 11829, Cairo, Egypt.

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a main health badly-behaved, that is not considered a disease of largely developed countries. The occurrence of diabetes is gradually growing far and wide, most obviously in developing countries. The majority of anti-diabetic formulations/medicines prescribed attempt to stabilize or lower blood glucose levels. In addition to traditional medications, some individuals employ complementary or alternative therapies to treat diabetes. Many phytochemical or herbal compositions are highly useful in diabetes control and treatment. Natural antidiabetic drugs exhibit several mechanisms of action. α-glucosidase inhibition, inhibition of aldose reductase, inhibition of α-amylase  stimulation of insulin secretion from β-cells, antioxidant activity, and numerous other mechanisms. This mini-review was performed on the four selected herbal drugs, Mango leaves (Mangifera indica L., Family Anacardiaceae), leaves of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L., Family Lamiaceae), grains of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L. Family Poaceae) and Delonix regia leaves (Delonix regia L, Family Fabaceae) which are growing in Egypt.

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