J Pharm Sci Bioscientific Res. 2016 6(4):535-541 ISSN NO. 2271-3681 Lavle N. et al 535 Role of Flavonoids and Saponins in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus Neha Lavle 1 *, Priyanka Shukla 2 , Aashish Panchal 3 1 Dept. Of Pharmacology, L.J.Institute of Pharmacy, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India 2 Asst.Professor, Dept. of Pharmacology, L.J.Institute of Pharmacy, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India 3 HOD, Dept. of Pharmacology, L.J.Institute of Pharmacy, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India ABSTRACT: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia due to insufficient or inefficient insulin secretory response. This chronic disease is a global problem and there is need for greater emphasis on therapeutic strategies in the health system. Current synthetic agents and insulin used effectively for the treatment of diabetes are expensive and have prominent adverse effects. Complementary and alternative approaches to diabetes management such as isolation of phytochemicals with anti-hyperglycemic activities from medicinal plant are therefore imperative. Phytochemicals such as flavonoids and saponins have recently attracted attention as source materials for the development of new anti-diabetic drugs or alternative therapy for the management of diabetes and its related complications. This paper emphasis on the investigations that explore the role of these compounds (flavonoids & saponins) for anti-diabetic remedy. KEY WORDS: Hyperglycemia, flavonoids, antioxidant activity, saponins. Article history: Received 14 April 2016 Revised 17 April 2016 Accepted 19 May 2016 Available online 01 July 2016 Citation: Lavle N., Shukla P., Panchal A. Role of Flavonoids and Saponins in the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus. J Pharm Sci Bioscientific Res. 2016 6(4):535-541 *For Correspondence: Neha Lavle Dept. Of Pharmacology, L.J.Institute of Pharmacy, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. (www.jpsbr.org) INTRODUCTION: Diabetes mellitus is the world’s largest endocrine disease characterized by chronic hyperglycemia associated with abnormalities in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism caused by complete or relative insufficiency of insulin secretion and/or insulin action, and usually accompanied by a variety of micro vascular, macro vascular, neurologic and infectious complications. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) released data showing that a 382 million people worldwide suffered from diabetes in 2013, if this trend will be continued than 592 people may have diabetes by the year of 2035. [1] Treatment of diabetes mellitus involves diet control, exercise and the use of insulin and oral hypoglycemic drugs. However, they usually have decreased efficacy over time, ineffectiveness against some long term diabetic complications and low cost effectiveness. [2] Because of perceived effectiveness, minimal side effects in clinical experience and relatively low cost, herbal drugs are recognized as a wonderful source for medicines. [3] Enthnopharmacological surveys indicate that more than 1200 plants are used in traditional medicine for their alleged hypoglycemic activity. [4, 2] Literature has shown specific chemical constituents of these plants, such as flavonoids and saponins to be the active hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic principle in many medicinal plants with blood glucose and lipid lowering attributes. [5]