Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder caused by the
insufficient production of insulin and/or the development of resistance to insulin. The
long-term management of T2DM with conventional oral hypoglycaemic drugs is a
challenge as these drugs may worsen certain underlying comorbidities and
complications, such as chronic kidney and cardiovascular diseases. Besides, because of
the development of resistance to those drugs, it is difficult to control hyperglycemia for
long term treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. This drawback of conventional
medicines necessitates phytotherapy, herbal medicines, functional foods,
nutraceuticals, and other forms of alternative medicines or the invention of new
medicines for the effective and long term treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus avoiding
the major adverse-effects or minimising them. Plant-derived bioactive compounds are a
great resource for the discovery of new medicines. Besides, phytomedicines in the
forms of extracts, isolated compounds, combined herbal preparations or other forms
can be used for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. This chapter
contains updated panorama based on the evidences from clinical study reports on
different forms of phytotherapy, including plant extracts, its fractions, isolated
bioactive compounds, functional foods, nutraceuticals, herbal medicines formulations
and other forms of plant-derived phytotherapy reported for the treatment of type 2
diabetes mellitus. The findings from clinical study reports were discussed with proper
citations as well as presented in summarized form in a table. A total of 52 different
types and forms of prospective phytomedicines, bioactive compounds, or formulation
or extracts or fractions or decoctions or functional foods formulations having clinical
study reports associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus were presented in this chapter.
The molecular mechanisms involved along with the primary and secondary outcomes
with phytotherapy on type 2 diabetes patients were also presented. Multiple clinical
studies demonstrated very prospective and potential antidiabetic activities of Berberine,
Bitter gourd, Cinnamon, Curcumin, Dia-BestTM, Fenugreek, Gegen Qinlian decoction,
GlucoSupreme herbal, Gymnema sylvestre, Magnesium, Nigella sativa, Resveratrol, Tibetan medicine herb combination, TCM multiple herbal combination, Xiaoke pill,
and vitamin C. Hence, at least, these phytoremedies are recommended for the
management of type 2 diabetes mellitus which may have additional benefits in diabetes
management compared to conventional Allopathic medicines considering the long-term
safety and effectivity of the products. The updated clinical study reports on
phytotherapy presented in this chapter will be helpful for the medical, biological and
pharmaceutical researchers and complementary and alternative medicine users to use
these plants extracts, its fractions, isolated biomolecules, herbal preparations,
functional foods, nutraceuticals and other forms of phytomedicines for the prevention
and treatment of diseases as well as for the discovery of modern medicines.
Keywords: Bioactive Compounds, Clinical studies, Complementay and
alternative medicine, Herbal medicine, Phytomedicine, Phytotherapy, Type 2
diabetes mellitus.
