Natural solutions for diabetes: the therapeutic potential of plants and mushrooms

Medicinal plants and mushrooms have been used for the prevention and treatment of various diseases since ancient times. For thousands of years, they have attracted significant interest due to their broad spectrum of biological activities and drug-like properties. Their continued use in traditional m...

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Main Authors: Aleksandra Sknepnek, Dunja Miletić, Alena Stupar, Ana Salević-Jelić, Viktor Nedović, Aleksandra Cvetanović Kljakić
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Nutrition
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1511049/full
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author Aleksandra Sknepnek
Dunja Miletić
Alena Stupar
Ana Salević-Jelić
Viktor Nedović
Aleksandra Cvetanović Kljakić
author_facet Aleksandra Sknepnek
Dunja Miletić
Alena Stupar
Ana Salević-Jelić
Viktor Nedović
Aleksandra Cvetanović Kljakić
author_sort Aleksandra Sknepnek
collection DOAJ
description Medicinal plants and mushrooms have been used for the prevention and treatment of various diseases since ancient times. For thousands of years, they have attracted significant interest due to their broad spectrum of biological activities and drug-like properties. Their continued use in traditional medicine has evolved alongside, and increasingly been supported by modern scientific research. Diabetes mellitus poses a serious global health, social and economic challenge and is among the most rapidly growing health issues of the 21st century. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), which accounts for 90–95% of diabetes cases, is largely attributed to sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy diets and obesity. Herbal medicine has already played a key role in the development of antidiabetic drugs, as exemplified by the plant-derived origins of metformin. The development of new therapeutics or therapeutic adjuvants from natural sources offers several advantages over synthetic drugs, including improved safety profiles for long-term use, efficacy, affordability and reliance on renewable raw materials. This review highlights the potential of bioactive compounds from medicinal plants and mushrooms, discussing their mechanism of action, extraction techniques and their significance for the prevention, management and treatment of T2DM.
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language English
publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Nutrition
spelling doaj-art-982bab4bc97f4c8dba4a012a597ad6f42025-08-20T03:31:45ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Nutrition2296-861X2025-07-011210.3389/fnut.2025.15110491511049Natural solutions for diabetes: the therapeutic potential of plants and mushroomsAleksandra Sknepnek0Dunja Miletić1Alena Stupar2Ana Salević-Jelić3Viktor Nedović4Aleksandra Cvetanović Kljakić5Faculty of Agriculture, Institute of Food Technology and Biochemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, SerbiaFaculty of Agriculture, Institute of Food Technology and Biochemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, SerbiaInstitute of Food Technology, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, SerbiaFaculty of Agriculture, Institute of Food Technology and Biochemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, SerbiaFaculty of Agriculture, Institute of Food Technology and Biochemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, SerbiaFaculty of Technology Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, SerbiaMedicinal plants and mushrooms have been used for the prevention and treatment of various diseases since ancient times. For thousands of years, they have attracted significant interest due to their broad spectrum of biological activities and drug-like properties. Their continued use in traditional medicine has evolved alongside, and increasingly been supported by modern scientific research. Diabetes mellitus poses a serious global health, social and economic challenge and is among the most rapidly growing health issues of the 21st century. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), which accounts for 90–95% of diabetes cases, is largely attributed to sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy diets and obesity. Herbal medicine has already played a key role in the development of antidiabetic drugs, as exemplified by the plant-derived origins of metformin. The development of new therapeutics or therapeutic adjuvants from natural sources offers several advantages over synthetic drugs, including improved safety profiles for long-term use, efficacy, affordability and reliance on renewable raw materials. This review highlights the potential of bioactive compounds from medicinal plants and mushrooms, discussing their mechanism of action, extraction techniques and their significance for the prevention, management and treatment of T2DM.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1511049/fullantidiabetic propertiesmedicinal plantsmedicinal mushroomsbioactive compoundsextracts
spellingShingle Aleksandra Sknepnek
Dunja Miletić
Alena Stupar
Ana Salević-Jelić
Viktor Nedović
Aleksandra Cvetanović Kljakić
Natural solutions for diabetes: the therapeutic potential of plants and mushrooms
Frontiers in Nutrition
antidiabetic properties
medicinal plants
medicinal mushrooms
bioactive compounds
extracts
title Natural solutions for diabetes: the therapeutic potential of plants and mushrooms
title_full Natural solutions for diabetes: the therapeutic potential of plants and mushrooms
title_fullStr Natural solutions for diabetes: the therapeutic potential of plants and mushrooms
title_full_unstemmed Natural solutions for diabetes: the therapeutic potential of plants and mushrooms
title_short Natural solutions for diabetes: the therapeutic potential of plants and mushrooms
title_sort natural solutions for diabetes the therapeutic potential of plants and mushrooms
topic antidiabetic properties
medicinal plants
medicinal mushrooms
bioactive compounds
extracts
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1511049/full
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