An overview of available Hypoglycemic Triterpenoids and Saponins to cure Diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a condition when excess amount of sugar is excreted out in the urine. It is probably caused due to hyperglycemia; when body fails to produce sufficient amount of insulin which may utilize or help to store these excessive carbohydrates. When a body does not produce sufficient insulin or to help utilize carbohydrates, it results in the accumulation of unutilized sugar in the blood, the condition is termed as hyperglycemia whereas the condition of passing off the excess sugar in the urine is known as diabetes mellitus . The excretion of sugar makes a profound effect on health that may lead to disability and death. According to some studies, it may cause myocardial infarction, cardiovascular disorders and terminal nephritis. These complications are reported to be the most important causes of mortality and the principal cause of irreversible blindness. There are hundreds of millions of patients around the world suffering from this disease and the number is spreading with an alarming rate. Such a condition has inspired the therapists to develop the methods which help in controlling this malaise. In this article, we have summarized some of hypoglycemic agents from natural sources especially from plants. Since there is a vast number of plants, which are reported to be utilized traditionally in the crude form for diabetes cure in the past. This article is meant to mention only the hypoglycemic ingredients of triterpenoids origin. This information can be helpful in getting new and more effective drugs in future by utilizing unexplored plants which are reported in the literature to possess hypoglycemic activity. This current review is comprised of the relevant work done up to the year 2007 based on search from Google.