A Mechanistic Insight on Phytoconstituents Delivering Hypoglycemic Activity: A Comprehensive Overview

Abstract

Diabetes is a long-term (chronic), challenging lifestyle (metabolic) disorder in which the body cannot regulate the amount of sugar in the blood and majorly affecting endocrine system and metabolic functions. Its complications majorly affect the neurons (as developing neuropathy), kidney (as nephropathy), and eye (as retinopathy). Diabetes also results in other associated problems, such as diabetic foot ulcers, sexual dysfunction, heart diseases etc. In the traditional medicines, the search for effective hypoglycemic agents is a continuous and challenging approach. Plant-derived bioactives, including alkaloids, phenols, glycosides, anthocyanins, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, polysaccharides, and terpenes, have been established to target cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Numerous diabetic patients select the herbal or traditional medicine system as an alternative therapeutic approach along with the mainstream anti-diabetic drugs. However, due to restrictive hurdles related to solubility and bioavailability, the bioactive compound cannot deliver the requisite effect. In this review, information is presented concerning well researched phytoconstituents established as potential hypoglycemic agents for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its associated disorders having restricted solubility and bioavailability related issues. This information can be further utilized in future to develop several value added formulation and nutraceutical products to achieve the desired safety and efficacy for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its related diseases.