Medicinal Plants from Jordan in the Treatment of Diabetes: Traditional Uses vs. In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluations

Diabetes mellitus is the most common metabolic disorder affecting millions worldwide. It is recognized as a global major health problem. As alternatives to the available orthodox medicines, plants are considered a potential source for the treatment of diabetes within traditional ethnomedicine practices. In the Jordanian traditional medicine a significant selection of ethnobotanicals is promoted for their antidiabetic activity. Literature surveys demonstrate the benefit of several ethnobotanicals as antidiabetic agents evaluated in in vitro and in vivo systems in the form of their crude extracts and/or isolated pure compounds with varying degrees of hypoglycemic or antihyperglycemic bioactivities. This mini review discusses the preparatory forms in which these plants are consumed, their reported phytoconstituents, and the results of their reported antidiabetic bioactivity.