©2011 PharmaInterScience Publishers. All rights reserved. www.pharmainterscience.com Int J Pharm Biomed Sci 2011, 2(3), 65-80 ISSN No: 0976-5263 Review article Research Drops PharmaInterScience Publishers Diabetes and medicinal plants-A review Diabetes mellitus (DM), both insulin-dependent DM (IDDM) and non-insulin- dependent DM (NIDDM) is a common and serious metabolic disorder throughout the world. Traditional plant treatments have been used throughout the world for the therapy of diabetes mellitus. Among many medications and other alternative medicines, several herbs have been known to cure and control diabetes; additionally they have no side effects. The present paper is an attempt to list of the plants with anti-diabetic and related beneficial effects originating from different parts of world. History showed that medicinal plants have been used in traditional healing around the world for a long time to treat diabetes; this is because such herbal plants have hypoglycemic properties and other beneficial properties, as reported in scientific literature. There are 136 such plants described in this review which clearly shows the importance of herbal plants in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. The effects of these plants may delay the development of diabetic complications and provide a rich source for antioxidants that are known to prevent/delay different diseased states. Key words: Diabetes mellitus, Medicinal plants, Hypoglycemic, Antioxidant Received: 25 Sep 2011 / Revised: 29 Sep 2011 / Accepted: 30 Sep 2011 / Online publication: 19 Oct 2011 1. INTRODUCTION Diabetes mellitus is a common and very prevalent disease affecting the citizens of both developed and developing countries. It is estimated that 25% of the world population is affected by this disease. Diabetes mellitus is caused by the abnormality of carbohydrate metabolism which is linked to low blood insulin level or insensitivity of target organs to insulin [1]. Despite considerable progress in the treatment of diabetes by oral hypoglycemic agents, search for newer drugs continues because the existing synthetic drugs have several limitations. The herbal drugs with antidiabetic activity are yet to be commercially formulated as modern medicines, even though they have been acclaimed for their therapeutic properties in the traditional systems of medicine [2]. The plants provide a potential source of hypoglycemic drugs because many plants and plant derived compounds have been used in the treatment of diabetes. Many Indian plants have been investigated for their beneficial use in different types of diabetes and reports occur in numerous scientific journals. Ayurveda and other traditional medicinal system for the treatment of diabetes describe a number of plants used as herbal drugs. Hence, they play an important role as alternative medicine due to less side effects and low cost. The active principles present in medicinal plants have been reported to possess pancreatic beta cells re-generating, insulin releasing and fighting the problem of insulin resistance [3]. Hyperglycemia is involved in the etiology of development of diabetic complications. Hypoglycemic herbs increase insulin secretion, enhance glucose uptake by adipose or muscle tissues and inhibit glucose absorption from intestine and glucose production from liver [4]. Insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents like sulphonylureas and biguanides are still the major players in the management but there is quest for the development of more effective anti-diabetic agents. 2. MEDICINAL PLANTS WITH ANTIDIABETIC AND RELATED BENEFICIAL PROPERTIES 2.1 Abelmoschus moschatus Medik (Malvaceae) It is an aromatic medicinal plant, which is native to India. Myricelin, an active principle of A. moschatus, improves insulin sensitivity through increased post-receptor insulin signaling mediated by enhancements in IRS-1-associated PI3-kinase and GLUT 4 activity in muscles of obese Zucker rats. Myricetin might be used as a model substance for the development of antidiabetic compounds [5]. 2.2 Acacia arabica (Lam) Wild. (Mimosaceae) It is found all over India. The plant extract acts as an antidiabetic agent by acting as secretagouge to release insulin. It induces hypoglycemia in control rats but not in G.B. Kavishankar 1 , N. Lakshmidevi 1 *, S. Mahadeva Murthy 2 , H.S. Prakash 3 , S.R. Niranjana 3 1 Department of Microbiology, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore, India-570 006 2 Department of Microbiology, University of Mysore, Yuvaraja’s college, Mysore, India-570 005 3 Department of Biotechnology, University of Mysore, Manasagangotri, Mysore, India-570 006 *Correspondence: Dr. N. Lakshmidevi Landline: +91 0821-4258019 E-mail: kavigawli@gmail.com