Diabetes mellitus remains the most common endocrine disorder of
carbohydrate metabolism, often associated with attendant complications with high
morbidity and mortality. Despite the successes recorded with the use of conventional
chemotherapy in the disease management, phytotherapy appears to have good prospects
in the effective management of the disease course and prognosis. In this review we will
examine the etiopathological basis (including the recent advancements in its pathology),
diagnosis and monitoring of diabetes mellitus. The chapter provides information on the
current conventional pharmacotherapy and supportive care as well as an in-depth and
incisive analysis on the emerging trend in the use of herbal products. The evidencebased
herbal pharmacotherapy that is currently employed in the management of the
disease is discussed. In the concluding part of the chapter, the future prospects of the
diverse anti-diabetic herbal remedies are also discussed.
Keywords: Diabetes, phytotherapy, medicinal plants, pharmacotherapy, herbal,
metabolic, hyperglycemia, insulin, plasma levels, resistance.
