Egyptian plants stand a shield against diabetic mellitus: Scientific evidence and mechanistic approaches

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is considered an endocrine disease leading to a disorder in glucose metabolism and caused by deficiency of insulin release (type 1) or insulin insensitivity (type 2), affecting about 10% of the world’s population. Egypt occupies the ninth position in the prevalence of DM. Conventional hypoglycemic drugs such as metformin, acarbose voglibose, glimepiride, and pioglitazone are well known for their side effects like gastrointestinal disorders and vitamin B12 deficiency. Thus, there is continuous research for the development of an effective antidiabetic drug with fewer side effects since the treatment is long term for the rest of life. Since ancient times, daily Egyptian food has been rich in functional antidiabetic foods such as Raphanus sativus (Radish), Lupinus albus (termes), and Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek). A wide array of Egyptian plants stands as a wealthy source of antidiabetic compounds that act directly on pancreatic cells stimulating insulin release or modulate the activities of regulatory enzymes in different glucose utilization pathways such as glucose absorption, glycolysis, and gluconeogenesis. This chapter aims to pile up the biological studies (reported from 2010 to 2021) that describe the potential role of Egyptian medicinal plants in the management of this disorder, focusing on their efficacy and highlighting the mechanism of actions. The isolated bioactive compounds and their contribution to fighting the disease have been discussed.