Diabetes is one of the most dangerous metabolic disorders, with high rates of mortality worldwide. Since ancient times, medicinal plants have been used in traditional medicine to treat many diseases, including diabetes and its related complications. Plants are widely accepted, affordable, and perceived to have minimal adverse side effects. The Lamiaceae family is a potential source of therapeutic agents for the management of metabolic disorders, including diabetes. Hence, this review paper summarizes the antidiabetic use of Lamiaceae species in folk medicine globally. Furthermore, we present the antidiabetic activities and phytochemical constituents of twenty-three (23) Lamiaceae species and the antidiabetic activity of some notable chemical constituents isolated from some of these Lamiaceae species.
Keywords: Lamiaceae species; diabetes mellitus; oxidative stress; secondary metabolites.