Clinical trials with plants in diabetes mellitus therapy: a systematic review

ABSTRACT

Introduction

The chronic metabolic disorder diabetes mellitus is a fast-growing global problem with huge social, health, and economic consequences, having one of the highest morbidities and mortality rates. Prolonged use of many available medications can produce undesirable side effects. Thus, plants appear as an important source of bioactive resources for the discovery of new treatments for diabetes.

Areas covered

In this sense, this systematic review focused on clinical trials involving plants of National List of Medicinal Plants of Interest to the Unified Health System (RENISUS) (or compounds) with antidiabetic properties. We analyzed indexed studies in PubMed following the reporting guidelines of PRISMA.

Expert Opinion

Of the 51 clinical trials found, Curcuma longa, Glycine max, Zingiber officinale, Punica granatum, Aloe vera, Momordica charantia are the species with the greatest amount of clinical trials and the attenuation of insulin resistance, decreased fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin levels are some of the main mechanisms by which these plants exert hypoglycemic effects. Thus, we speculate that the Clinical Pharmacology should explore the field of plant-based compounds that will keep concentrating the attention of researchers, and therefore, we gathered studies in advanced stages that highlight the role of plants in the diabetes therapy.

KEYWORDS:

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus
• plants
• compounds
• clinical trials
• therapeutic effects

Article highlights

• Prudence is needed while using plants as their uncontrolled use may have long-term side effects.

• Plants provide adjuvant therapeutic properties and preventive for human health through antidiabetic properties.

• Study confirms important therapeutic properties of medicinal plants of RENISUS list.

• Clinical trials highlight the role of plants in the diabetes therapy.

• Attenuation of insulin resistance; decreased fasting blood glucose besides glycosylated hemoglobin levels are some of the action mechanisms.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Universidade do Vale do Taquari - Univates, Brazil.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was funded in part by the Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel - Brazil (CAPES) - Finance Code 001, besides of National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq).