Iranian Medicinal Plants in Diabetes Management: A Narrative Review of Traditional Herbal Remedies and Their Hypoglycemic Effects

Diabetes mellitus is a significant global health concern, especially in Iran. Currently, numerous oral antihyperglycemic agents and insulin are prescribed to manage diabetes. Historically, in Middle Eastern countries, medicinal herbals were used to manage diabetes in patients. Furthermore, the adverse effects of some diabetes management drugs provide an eager potential for researchers to find novel alternative treatments that reduce the side effects and also increase their efficacy. In addition, the rich history of Iranian traditional medicine reveals the vital role of traditional herbals and their compounds in treating and mitigating diabetes mellitus and its associated complications. Several studies conducted to investigate the hypoglycemic properties related to these plant species. In this narrative review, we aimed at a comprehensive study of Iranian plant species with antidiabetic properties through experimental evidence. Our review illustrated that the traditional herbal active ingredients are not well-defined, limiting their standardization. Current efforts focus on identifying these components to improve their therapeutic efficacy.