A systematic review of plant-based therapy for the management of diabetes mellitus in the East Africa community

Abstract

Diabetes is a serious global health issue that is particularly common in East Africa. Lifestyle factors influence the incidence, mortality, and morbidity of diabetes. Medicinal plants have phytochemicals with anti-diabetic properties. This systematic review assesses the efficacy, efficiency, safety, and feasibility of phytotherapy in the treatment of diabetes in the East African Community (EAC). we conducted a comprehensive literature search using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. We limited our search to peer-reviewed English articles, preclinical models, and intervention studies reporting the use of medicinal plants in the treatment of diabetes, particularly in EAC. This article follows the Guidelines for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020. Two reviewers independently performed data collection and quality assessment. We retrieved 465 articles from the database and reviewed eight articles that met the inclusion criteria for this study. we identified eight medicinal plants: Maerua decumbens, Rotheca myricoides (Hochst), Piper capence, Berberis holstii, Polyscias fulva (Hiern) Harms, Lippia javanica, Caesalpina bonducella, and Securinega virosa . We extracted and analyzed information from the literature and showed that seven medicinal plants reduce blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity through their mechanism of action. The phytochemical properties of these medicinal plants, mainly containing alkaloids, tannins, and flavonoids, may contribute to their hypoglycemic effects. Caesalpinia bonducella seed extract is less effective in controlling high blood sugar. More preclinical studies are needed to investigate the potential of phytotherapy in the management of diabetes in EAC.