Abstract:
Background. Available data indicate that diabetes mellitus leads to elevated cost of healthcare. This imposes a huge economic burden
on households, societies, and nations. As a result many Ghanaians, especially rural folks, resort to the use of phytomedicine, which
is relatively less expensive. This paper aims at obtaining information on plants used in Ghana to treat diabetes mellitus, gather and
present evidence-based data available to support their uses and their mechanisms of action, and identify areas for future research.
Method. A catalogue of published textbooks, monographs, theses, and peer-reviewed articles of plants used in Ghanaian traditional
medicine between 1987 and July 2018 for managing diabetes mellitus was obtained and used. Results. The review identified 76 plant
species belonging to 45 families that are used to manage diabetes mellitus. Leaves were the part of the plants frequently used for
most preparation (63.8%) and were mostly used as decoctions. Majority of the plants belonged to the Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae,
Asteraceae, and Apocynaceae families. Pharmacological data were available on 23 species that have undergone in vitro studies.
Forty species have been studied using in vivo animal models. Only twelve plants and their bioactive compounds were found with
data on both preclinical and clinical studies. The records further indicate that medicinal plants showing antidiabetic effects did
so via biochemical mechanisms such as restitution of pancreatic 𝛽-cell function, improvement in insulin sensitivity by receptors,
stimulating rate of insulin secretion, inhibition of liver gluconeogenesis, enhanced glucose absorption, and inhibition of G-6-Pase,
𝛼-amylase, and 𝛼-glucosidase activities. Conclusion. This review contains information on medicinal plants used to manage diabetes
mellitus, including their pharmacological properties and mechanisms of action as well as models used to investigate them. It also
provides gaps that can form the basis for further investigations and development into useful medications for effective treatment of
diabetes mellitus.
