Available Online through www.ijpbs.com (or) www.ijpbsonline.com IJPBS |Volume 3| Issue 1 |JAN-MAR |2013|575-589 Review Article Pharmaceutical Sciences International Journal of Pharmacy and Biological Sciences (e-ISSN: 2230-7605) Prodyut Mondal*et al Int J Pharm Bio Sci www.ijpbs.com or www.ijpbsonline.com Page575 HERBAL MEDICINES USEFUL FOR THE TREATMENT OF DIABETES IN NORTH-EAST INDIA: A REVIEW Prodyut Mondal * , Niroj Bhuyan, Sonjit Das, Mritunjay Kumar, Sudarshana Borah, Kabita Mahato. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dibrugarh University. Assam 786004.India. *Corresponding AuthorEmail:mondalprodyut0@gmail.com ABSTRACT Aim: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia, which is associated with abnormalities in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism result in chronic complications. The main objective of the study to presenting the medicinal plants used in North-East India for anti-diabetic purposes. This study emphasizes potential sources for the development of new anti-diabetic drugs from indigenous medicinal plants found in North-East India. Methods: The North-east India is the indigenous for its biodiversity aspect. The herbal drugs which have the anti-diabetic properties are documented here on the basic of the information of articles published on the popular journal in different times and based on the information of extensive field survey. Results: There are 141nos. of medicinal plant have documented. Traditionally most of the plants show promising anti-diabetic activity. Whole plant and parts of the plant such as bark, leaf, fruit etc. are being used by the ethnic community to cure diabetes. In compares to the other parts of the plant the leaves are the mostly used by the traditional people as anti-diabetic purposes of the different plant. Conclusion: The traditionally used medicinal plants have possessing potent anti-diabetic properties that has not still explored scientifically. The article summarize the significance of medicinal plants that are used in north-east India as anti-diabetic purposes and the requisite level of activity as well as toxicity would be considered for further scrutiny to develop the potential drug molecules. KEY WORDS Medicinal Plants, anti-diabetic drugs, diabetes mellitus, North East India. INTRODUCTION The prevalence of diabetes is rising all over the world due to population growth, aging, urbanization and an increase of obesity and physical inactivity. Unlike in the West, where older persons are most affected, diabetes in Asian countries is disproportionately high in young to middle-aged adults. This could have long-lasting adverse effects on a nation’s health and economy, especially for developing countries. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates the total number of people in India with diabetes to be around 87.0 million by 2030 [1]. 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 [2]. Diabetes is the condition where the fasting and post prandial (after food) blood glucose level become high (normal 120mg/dl after 2 hours of meal, adult male) due to mainly improper metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. Diabetes mellitus is a group of syndromes characterized