Affiliation:
1. VNU School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam
Abstract
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a metabolic disorder related to persistent hyperglycemia. It is characterized by lack of secretion and activity of insulin, which causes chronic complications including cardiovascular and renal diseases, high blood pressure, and infections. Medicinal plants offer many therapeutic agents to improve the symptoms and prevent the progression of T2D. Treatment with present synthetic drugs leading to several adverse effects stimulates further search into natural products in order to find effective anti-diabetic candidates. This chapter reviews molecular targets of T2D treatment as well as medicinal plants and their bioactive compounds that were searched from Medline, Google Scholar, PubMed database, or other bibliographic reviews of relevant articles. The authors hope that this review will contribute to develop further investigations into potential alternatives against T2D.