Antidiabetic potential of natural phytochemical antioxidants

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic ailment caused due to complex interactions of genetic and environmental factors (dietary and lifestyle). It causes remarkable morbidity and mortality due to microvascular (retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy) and macrovascular (heart attack, peripheral vascular disease, and stroke) complications. Treatment of microvascular complications focuses on blood sugar control. Although preventing macrovascular complications requires correcting classical cardiovascular risk factors that involve insulin resistance (metabolic) syndrome. The use of traditional drugs adopts several antidiabetic remedies. These drugs are effectivebecause most of these drugs are taken by patients for their entire life and causeseveral adverse effects like diarrhoea, abdominal distention, and flatulence emanate by intaking these drugs. Due to these restrictions,there is a need to explore management strategies in medicinal plants with cost-effective antidiabetic potentials and fewer or negligible side effects. Applying traditional medicine for diabetes and its associated complications has received increasing attention. This review explores the antidiabetic potential of some commonly and extensively used phytochemicals obtained from traditional medicinal plants.