Zenab F Rampura and Shailendra Singh Panwar

Diabetes mellitus, especially type 2 diabetes mellitus, is a major global health concern. Many antidiabetic drugs are widely used, but they have limitations such as side effects and high cost. As a result herbal alternatives are being explored. Medicinal plants are being used in traditional medicine systems from ancient times. They offer promising therapeutic response due to their diverse phytochemical constituents and multi-targeted mechanism of action. This review summarizes evidences on selected herbal antidiabetic agents including Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek), Momordica charantia (bitter gourd), Cinnamomum (cinnamon), Gymnema sylvestre (gurmar), Ocimum sanctum (tulsi), Allium sativum (garlic), and Aloevera. These plants have demonstrated beneficial effects by stimulating insulin secretion, enhancing insulin sensitivity, improving lipid profiles, and also providing antioxidant protection. Experimental and clinical studies support their role in lowering fasting blood glucose, and lipid levels, with some effects comparable to standard antidiabetic drugs such as glibenclamide. Despite the encouraging results, challenges remain such as standardization, large-scale clinical validation, and safety assurance. Future research including clinical trials and mechanistic studies can be essential for the translation of these herbal antidiabetics into modern evidence-based treatment for diabetes.

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