Anti-diabetic effects of Hibiscus spp. extract in rat and mice models: A review

Diabetes mellitus, a chronic metabolic disease characterized by sustained hyperglycemia, has become a worldwide concern due to the upward trend of recorded cases each passing year. It is one of the leading causes of death in the world. Medication for the management and treatment of diabetes is neither affordable nor accessible in most parts of the Philippines thus raising the need for cost-effective alternatives. Plant extracts have long been used as a treatment for a variety of diseases. One of the plants to display biological activity is Hibiscus spp. It is used to treat a variety of diseases and has steadily gained recognition for its anti-diabetic properties. Several of its plant parts such as the leaves, flowers, and calyces had been used in laboratory models of type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus. However, methods of extracting biologically active components of the plant vary and yield different results depending upon the concentration and temperature of the extraction procedure. Furthermore, it has shown hypoglycemic effects comparable to commonly used drugs in the treatment of diabetes such as metformin and glibenclamide. Although these studies suggest the efficacy of Hibiscus spp. extract as an antidiabetic agent, it still warrants further clinical trials to establish its efficacy and limitations. 