Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: An overview and its potential treatment with herbs

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a hyperglycemia condition with onset in the second or third trimester of pregnancy. Currently, the first-line prevention and management of GDM are lifestyle modifications that must be implemented throughout pregnancy, even before pregnancy. When lifestyle management is unable to maintain normoglycemia in pregnancy, treatment therapy such as insulin and/or oral antidiabetic drugs is needed. Insulin as a first-choice therapy still has drawbacks, including its high price, potential weight gain, hypoglycemia, and uncomfortable route of administration. Herbal therapy using plant extracts and bioactive compounds with antidiabetic effects has become a concern as preventive, alternative, and complementary therapy. This article will provide information about GDM and the potential of herbal plants that can be used in the treatment of GDM.

This review will focus on recent herbal remedies derived from various types of medicinal plants that have been validated through scientific evaluation as promising treatments for GDM. Data was collected through Google Scholar using the keywords "herbs and gestational diabetes mellitus". The references were articles with publication years from 2019 to 2023, written in English, original research, and free full-text articles that were relevant. 6,970 works of literature met the keywords "herbs and gestational diabetes mellitus". Then we selected 15 articles that were most relevant.

The bioactive compounds found in plants may be used in the future to complement current treatment strategies for GDM. This review has demonstrated that herbal plants can reduce blood glucose levels in GDM. Additionally, unsaturated fatty acids have also shown the potential for lowering blood glucose levels in GDM. These findings have beneficial effects in regulating glucose metabolism, reducing inflammation, and protecting against oxidative damage associated with GDM.