Herbal Interventions in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus: A Comprehensive Review of the Glucose Lowering Properties of African Bush Mango

Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder resulting in hyperglycaemia due to impaired insulin synthesis, secretion, or action. Current guidelines implementing pharmacological and lifestyle interventions often come with high costs, adverse effects, and limited accessibility. The use of herbal medicines is gaining popularity among patients due to their easy accessibility and low cost.

Methods: This was a narrative review. A detailed electronic search of published articles, from 2005 to 2025, on diabetes mellitus care and treatment using herbal medications was conducted. Searches were performed on PubMed, Cochrane libraries, Google and Semantic Scholar. Advanced Boolean searches were utilized for focused results, limited to English language peer-reviewed articles. The criteria for selecting herbal products reviewed in this article for the management of DM include the existence of enough evidence describing their efficacy in at least two to three clinical trials in addition to experimental studies which provide valid and valuable information on the product.

Results: It was found that certain herbs were commonly used in the treatment of DM, and includes ginger (Zingiber officinale), black seed (Nigella sativa), jujube (Ziziphus jujuba), turmeric (Curcuma longa), and African bush mango (Irvingia gabonensis). Bioactive compounds from these plants, such as flavonoids, polyphenols, alkaloids, and saponins, exhibit hypoglycaemic effects by enhancing insulin secretion, reducing insulin resistance, and regulating glucose metabolism. Clinical trials indicate that ginger and black seed improve insulin sensitivity and lipid profiles, while turmeric from curcumin improves glycaemic control and possesses anti-inflammatory effects. Irvingia gabonensis, rich in soluble fibre, has demonstrated potential in weight management, reduction in lipids, and blood glucose control, further supporting its role in diabetes care.

Conclusion: Despite promising evidence supporting the use of herbal medicines like African Bush Mango in diabetes care, their integration requires policies that ensure standardized quality control, rigorous clinical trials to evaluate long-term safety, efficacy and herb-drug interactions, and enable clinician education on evidence-based use.