THE The Research Progress on Natural Hypoglycemic Substances of Medicinal Plants

Abstract

Background:
Diabetes mellitus is an increasingly serious global health concern, with rising prevalence and long-term complications that place a significant burden on healthcare systems. Although conventional hypoglycemic drugs are widely used, their long-term application is often associated with adverse effects, prompting growing interest in safer, plant-derived alternatives. Medicinal plants have been extensively studied as sources of natural hypoglycemic substances with diverse biological activities.

Objective:
This review aims to systematically summarize the research progress on natural hypoglycemic substances derived from medicinal plants, with particular emphasis on their classification, mechanisms of action, safety considerations, and potential for clinical application in diabetes prevention and management.

Methods:
A comprehensive literature review was conducted focusing on experimental and preclinical studies investigating hypoglycemic substances from medicinal plants. The review categorizes these substances into non-volatile compounds (polysaccharides, saponins, polyphenols, and alkaloids) and volatile compounds (essential oils), and analyzes their hypoglycemic mechanisms, molecular targets, and reported biological effects.

Results:
Non-volatile hypoglycemic substances primarily exert their effects by regulating intracellular signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT and AMPK, enhancing insulin sensitivity, repairing pancreatic β-cell function, and inhibiting enzymes involved in glucose metabolism. Volatile substances, mainly plant essential oils, reduce blood glucose levels through inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities, improvement of oxidative stress, and regulation of lipid metabolism. The review also highlights differences in action mechanisms between non-volatile and volatile compounds and identifies potential safety issues related to gastrointestinal reactions, toxic components, drug interactions, and insufficient long-term clinical data.

Conclusion:
Medicinal plants contain a wide range of natural hypoglycemic substances with distinct and complementary mechanisms of action. While existing studies demonstrate promising hypoglycemic potential, further research is required to clarify molecular mechanisms, optimize extraction and purification processes, strengthen clinical validation, and establish standardized quality control systems. These efforts are essential to facilitate the safe and effective translation of plant-derived hypoglycemic substances into clinical practice for diabetes management.