Potential and Prospective of Traditional Indian Medicinal Plants for the Treatment of Diabetes

Abstract The emergence of diabetes as a silent epidemic and the failure of conventional medicines to provide a safe, effective, and affordable stance has rendered scientists to go back to the ancient literature on traditional plant-based therapies. Though many spices and herbs are used for usual culinary purposes, organized research on the beneficial effect of such herbs in regard to diabetes is less explored. Traditionally, ayurvedic phyto-based polyherbal formulations have been described to reduce blood glucose levels and ease allied complications related to diabetes. The present review amasses nine ethnomedicinal plants (cinnamon, fenugreek, bitter gourd, neem, Indian bael, black myrobalan, Indian gooseberry, turmeric, and giloy) of the Indian subcontinent frequently mentioned in a traditional setting. Systematic assessment of different extraction methods, computational, in vitro, in vivo, and human trials for diabetes involving plants, is presented. A list of some of the commercially available polyherbal formulations for diabetes, along with their key constituents, is discussed. Finally, considering the concomitant use of herbs along with conventional drugs, a brief perspective on the possible herb-drug interactions, limitations, and future directions is provided. This review sheds light on the bioactive components of pharmaceutically relevant plants mentioned in traditional settings for hypoglycemic control. Subsequently, wider acceptance of complementary therapy for efficient management of diabetes would improve the quality of life of patients across the globe. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT