Sabeeha Shafi, Nahida Tabassum

Abstract

Plants and their derivatives have been used in the treatment of diabetics for thousands of years. Herbal plants are important in the management of diabetes mellitus especially in developing countries where the resources are meager. Diabetes is a silent killer that kills every 10 seconds. India is having the highest number of diabetics in the world. Traditional plants medicines or herbal formulations give a natural way to decrease the diabetic complications. Approximately 80% of the populations of third world countries are dependent on traditional therapies for their health care and has been recommended by WHO to include traditional medicines in the primary health care level of these countries. Diabetes mellitus is a major endocrine disorder which can cause renal failure, diabetic neuropathy abnormal metabolic control and people with diabetes are likely to develop cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis. Efforts are ongoing to understand and manage diabetes mellitus because the disease and disease related complications are increasing day by day. In spite of presence of large number of medicines in the pharmaceutical market, remedies from medicinal plants are used with success to treat this disease. There has been great demand for plant products due to low cost, easy availability and lesser side effects. There are about 45 plants described in this review which clearly shows the importance of herbal plants in the treatment of diabetes mellitus especially in Kashmir (India) where people have very little knowledge about these plants. The effect of these plants may delay the development of diabetic complications and provide a rich source of antioxidants that are known to prevent/ delay different diseased states.