A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF SOME POTENTIAL ANTI-DIABETIC HERBS USED IN INDIA CHARACTERIZED BY ITS HYPOGLYCEMIC ACTIVITY

In the last few years, there has been an exponential growth in the field of herbal medicine and these drugs are gaining popularity both in developing and developed countries because of their natural origin and less side effects. The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed 21,000 plants, which are used for medicinal purposes around the world. Among these 2500 species are in India, out of which 150 species are used commercially on a fairly large scale. India is the largest producer of medicinal herbs and is called as botanical garden of the world. In this study, we intend to do a systematic search to identify the most potent antidiabetic herbs that are available in India. Relevant medical databases and websites were searched. To qualify for inclusion, the herbs should have excellent antidiabetic potential confirmed with biomarker (reduction in HbA1c) and the herbs should also possess limited adverse effects if at all any. Eligible studies must also meet the following criteria: published in English and peer-reviewed journals. We also used related keywords like diabetes mellitus, plant (herb), India, patient, glycemic control, clinical trial, RCT, natural or herbal medicine, Ayurvedic plants, hypoglycemic plants, and individual herb names from popular sources, as keywords or combination of them