Harnessing Herbal Power: A Systematic Review of Phytopharmaceuticals in Type 2 Diabetes Management

OBJECTIVE: and clinical studies. METHODS: This review is the first to put a list of mechanisms into seven functional domains (1): insulin secretion and 2 -cell protection (2), insulin signaling facilitation (PI3K/Akt, AMPK, GLUT4) (3), carbohydrate digestion inhibition (alpha -amylase, 3 -glucosidase) (4), lipid metabolism control (5), carbohydrate oxidative stress (6), 3 -cell inflammation, and (7) gut microbiota control. It addresses also a wide range of herbal extracts and commercial products in order to estimate their capacity in the symptoms and complications of T2DM alleviation. RESULTS: Some of the plant-derived metabolites, including antidiabetic properties expressed in their antioxidant, alkaloids and polysaccharides, are discussed. Growing evidence shows that phytochemicals control the secretion and activity of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor and is another natural way of using incretin-based therapy. CONCLUSION: The results of the researches suggest that plant-based compounds are effective in the management of T2DM due to different biochemical processes such as restoration of the pancreatic β-cells functions, insulin sensitization, the stimulation of insulin secretion, the inhibition of hepatic gluconeogenesis, enhancement of glucose absorption, and the suppression of G-6-phosphatase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase activity.