Over the years, natural products have shown success as antidiabetics in in vitro, in
vivo studies and clinical trials. Because natural product-derived drugs are more affordable
and effective with fewer side-effects compared to conventional therapies, pharmaceutical
research is increasingly leaning towards the discovery of new antidiabetic drugs from natural
products targeting pathways or components associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)
pathophysiology. However, the drug discovery process is very lengthy and costly with significant
challenges. Therefore, various techniques are currently being developed for the preclinical
research phase of drug discovery with the aim of drug development with less time
and efforts from natural products. In this review, we have provided an update on natural
products including fruits, vegetables, spices, nuts, beverages and mushrooms with potential
antidiabetic activities from in vivo, in vitro and clinical studies. Synergistic interactions between
natural products and antidiabetic drugs, and potential antidiabetic active compounds
from natural products are also documented to pave the way for combination treatment and
new drug discovery, respectively. Additionally, a brief idea of the drug discovery process
along with the challenges that arise during drug development from natural products and the
methods to conquer those challenges are discussed to create a more convenient future drug
discovery process.
From rapid In Vitro screening to rapid In Vivo screening in the drug discovery process
