STUDY THE MOLECULAR MECHANISM OF SALVIA SPECIES IN PREVENTION OF DIABETES

Diabetes mellitus is a widespread epidemic caused by insulin deficiency, decreased secretion, or both of them. This disease is one of the common metabolic disorders that affects 8.2% of the world population and is expected to reach 4.5% in 2025. More than 200 species of plants have anti-diabetic properties, but the mechanism of their effect is not well defined. Most herbs that have anti-diabetic properties include to the family of Leguminoaceae, Lamiaceae, Liliaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Asteraceae, Moraceae, Rosaceae and Araliaceae. The antidiabetic activities of medicinal plants are attributed to the presence of polyphenols, flavonoids, terpenoids, coumarins and and other constituents which show reduction in blood glucose levels. Searching among the different literature resources and various database and in view of the above aspects, the present article provides a comprehensive review on the available antidiabetic salvia species that have been approved by pharmacological and clinical evaluations, and whose mechanism(s) of action is assured. Numerous mechanisms of actions have been proposed for Salvia species extracts. Some hypotheses relate to their effects on the activity of pancreatic beta cells, increase in the inhibitory effect against insulinase enzyme, increase of the insulin sensitivity or the insulin-like activity of the plant extracts. Other mechanisms may also be involved such as increase of peripheral utilization of glucose, increase of synthesis of hepatic glycogen or decrease of glycogenolysis, inhibition of intestinal glucose absorption, reduction of glycemic index of carbohydrates and reduction of the effect of glutathione.