Abstract

Pratibha Sen, Somesh Saxena, Dr. Rita Mourya, Dr. Shailesh Jain

ABSTRACT

Diabetes mellitus represents a significant global health challenge, affecting over 537 million adults worldwide. While conventional pharmaceutical interventions remain the cornerstone of diabetes management, there has been growing interest in complementary and alternative medicine approaches, particularly herbal remedies. This review examines the current evidence for herbal medicines in diabetes management, focusing on their mechanisms of action, clinical efficacy, and safety profiles. A systematic analysis of traditional medicinal plants reveals that numerous herbs demonstrate hypoglycemic properties through various mechanisms including enhanced insulin secretion, improved insulin sensitivity, inhibition of carbohydrate-digesting enzymes, and glucose uptake enhancement. Notable herbs such as Gymnema sylvestre, Momordica charantia, Trigonella foenum-graecum, and Cinnamomum verum have shown promising results in both preclinical and clinical studies. However, standardization issues, limited high-quality clinical trials, and potential herb-drug interactions remain significant challenges. This review synthesizes current knowledge and identifies areas requiring further research to establish herbal medicines as evidence-based adjuncts to conventional diabetes therapy.