A Review on Some Potential Traditional Phytomedicine with Antidiabetic Properties

Diabetes is a chronic carbohydrate, lipid, and proteinmetabolic condition characterised by elevated fasting andpostprandial blood sugar levels. The global prevalence of diabetes isexpected to rise from 4% in 1995 to 5.4% by 2025. According toWHO, the majority of the burden will fall on underdevelopedcountries. Plants have been used as a source of medicine sinceprehistoric times. Plants are mentioned in Ayurveda and other Indianliterature as being used in the treatment of many human illnesses.There are over 45000 plant species in India, and thousands of themhave been claimed to have therapeutic characteristics. In recentdecades, research on plants described in ancient literature or usedhistorically for diabetes has revealed anti-diabetic properties.