PRECLINICAL EVIDENCE OF THE EFFICACY OF CUCURBITA PLANTS IN DIABETES MANAGEMENT: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Diabetes mellitus (DM) remains a major global health problem and particularly in low to middle income countries both because of the increasing prevalence and as a result of lack of access to affordable and effective treatment. Given the limitations of current pharmacological treatments, such as side effects and poor compliance, there is increasing interest in natural plant-derived alternatives. This systematic review explores the anti-diabetic potential of Cucurbita species, members of the Cucurbitaceae family, which have demonstrated promising hypoglycemic, antioxidant, and insulinotropic activities in preclinical models.