AUTHOR=Willcox Merlin L. , Elugbaju Christina , Al-Anbaki Marwah , Lown Mark , Graz Bertrand 

TITLE=Effectiveness of Medicinal Plants for Glycaemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes: An Overview of Meta-Analyses of Clinical Trials

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.777561

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2021.777561

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Aims:</bold> To rank the effectiveness of medicinal plants for glycaemic control in Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM).</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and Cochrane Central were searched in October 2020. We included meta-analyses of randomised controlled clinical trials measuring the effectiveness of medicinal plants on HbA1c and/or Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) in patients with T2DM.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Twenty five meta-analyses reported the effects of 18 plant-based remedies. Aloe vera leaf gel, Psyllium fibre and Fenugreek seeds had the largest effects on HbA1c: mean difference –0.99% [95% CI−1.75, −0.23], −0.97% [95% CI −1.94, −0.01] and −0.85% [95% CI −1.49, −0.22] respectively. Four other remedies reduced HbA1c by at least 0.5%: <italic>Nigella</italic><italic>sativa</italic>, <italic>Astragalus membranaceus,</italic> and the traditional Chinese formulae Jinqi Jiangtang and Gegen Qinlian. No serious adverse effects were reported. Several other herbal medicines significantly reduced FPG. Tea and tea extracts (<italic>Camellia sinensis</italic>) were ineffective. However, in some trials duration of follow-up was insufficient to measure the full effect on HbA1c (&lt;8 weeks). Many herbal remedies had not been evaluated in a meta-analysis.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> Several medicinal plants appear to be as effective as conventional antidiabetic treatments for reducing HbA1c. Rigorous trials with at least 3 months’ follow-up are needed to ascertain the effects of promising plant-based preparations on diabetes.</p>