Indigenous Antidiabetic Medicinal Plants Used in Nigeria: A Review

Diabetes mellitus is among the most prevalent endocrine disease that causes morbidity and mortality in Nigeria. Traditional medical system has been used for the both prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus since ages. This paper reviewed the use of 35 Nigerian plants with putative anti-diabetic properties with the help of published literature. As per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), status of these species include Sterculia tragacantha, Newbouldia laevis, Solanum anomalum, Ficus exasperate, Raffia palm (Raphia hookeri) Azadirachta indica, Syzygium cumini, Terminalia catapp, Solanum macrocarpon, Petersianthus macrocarpus, Xylopia aethiopica, Costus aferker-gawl, Spondias mombin, Eucalyptus globulus Parkia biglobosa, Persea americana, Anacardium occidentale, Vernonia amygdalina as least concern. While the status of Hunteria umbellate and Vitex doniana are reported as threatened and Dacryodes edulis and Dennettia tripetala as vulnerable species. However, the status of Annona muricata, Chrysophyllum albidum, Citrus paradisi Macfad, Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) are not evaluated. The following species like Phyllanthus amarus, Phyllanthus niruri and Telfairia occidentalis are data deficient. Most of the species belonging to common families like Solanaceae, Anacardiaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Annonaceae and Rutaceae. This review offers relevant information and recent scientific findings on the plants used to treat and manage diabetes in Nigeria. The cellular mechanisms through which these natural agents exert their protective and therapeutic effects on diabetes mellitus may include antioxidative stress, restricting the breakdown of glycogen, pancreatic β-cell regeneration, gluconeogenesis, anti-inflammatory and intracellular signals transduction pathways. This study concludes that indigenous medicinal herbs utilized in Nigeria have the potential to treat diabetes mellitus in Nigeria. Further studies are needed to discover potential drugs from these indigenous plants.