The Role of Medicinal Plants in Diabetes Mellitus and Oxidative Stress: A Review

Diabetes mellitus is an endocrinology disorder of great global concern. It results from an irregularity in the secretion or action of insulin. It is a metabolic condition characterized by chronic hyperglycemia. Oxidative stress plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of some diseases such as diabetes, aging, cancer, cardiovascular disease, as well as liver and lung diseases. Oxidative stress occurs due to an imbalance between radical generation and radical scavenging. One of the main mechanisms for the development of diabetes complications is via oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is a main upstream occurrence for diabetes complications as well as the development of insulin resistivity. Medicinal plants can be useful in the treatment of numerous diseases and some of their healthful effects are due to their antioxidant activity. Their antihyperglycemic effect is very much linked to their antioxidant potential. This review summarized the antidiabetic potential of some medicinal plants in animal models. There is a continuous need to explore the medicinal capability of herbal products with antioxidant effects in the management of diabetes mellitus.