Saponins and Potential Effects on Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes Mellitus, a heterogeneous disorder characterized by hyperglycaemia, is an important global health problem. Chronic hyperglycemia causes irreversible damage and dysfunction of various organs, thereby increasing health expenditure and reducing quality of life. In recent years, besides the existing synthetic oral antidiabetic drugs used in the treatment of diabetes, there is an increased interest in the availability of alternative agents having less side effects and obtained by isolation of phytochemicals with antihyperglycemic activity from plants. Saponins, one of these phytochemicals, have anti-hyperglycemic activity as well as various potential therapeutic effects such as anti-tumoral, anti-microbial and antiinflammatory. In this article, the antidiabetic effects of saponins will be discussed according to evidence based data.