Review Article on in-vitro Assessment of Antidiabetic Potential of Selected Medicinal Plants with an Antioxidant Correction

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by persistent hyperglycaemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. The prevalence of diabetes is increasing globally, leading to serious long-term complications such as cardiovascular diseases, neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy. Although conventional antidiabetic drugs are effective, they are frequently associated with adverse effects such as hypoglycaemia, gastrointestinal disturbances, weight gain, and organ toxicity. Therefore, medicinal plants are increasingly investigated as complementary or alternative therapeutic agents due to their affordability and multi-target mechanisms. This review focuses on the in vitro assessment of antidiabetic potential of selected medicinal plants through enzyme inhibition assays such as α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition, antiglycation studies, glucose uptake assays, aldose reductase inhibition, and antioxidant screening [6–8]. The role of oxidative stress in diabetes progression is discussed, along with the significance of antioxidant correction using plant-derived phytochemicals. Plants including Momordica charantia, Gymnema sylvestre, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Azadirachta indica, Ocimum sanctum, Syzygium cumini, Curcuma longa, Cinnamomum verum, Allium sativum, and Aloe vera are reviewed for their phytochemical constituents and mechanisms of action.