ABSTRACT
Controlling breakdown of carbohydrate by inhibiting carbohydrate digestive enzymes, such as acarbose, is the most effective way to manage type 2 diabetes mellitus and to control postprandial hyperglycemia. Although plant-based α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitors offer advantages in fewer side effects compared with synthetic inhibitors, they cannot replace either oral or insulin therapeutic agents that are used to treat diabetes. Most herbal medicines that are used for their hypoglycemic effect in the treatment of diabetes also contain large amounts of natural antioxidants, such as flavonoids and polyphenolic acids, which also have beneficial health effects. Because of reported health benefits in the use of medicinal plants with antidiabetic effects, there is much interest among many diabetic patients to combine them into their treatment regime. Plants from the Lamiaceae family are a potential source of therapeutic agents for the treatment of metabolic disorders, such as diabetes. However, there are currently no thorough human/clinical studies reported to support their use as therapeutic agents.
