Antidiabetic Properties of Natural Products of Cyperus Species Plants: A Review

Natural products are reported to have a vital role in the treatment of various diseases and drug design. In recent developments, natural drug molecules of plant origin have been reported exclusively for diabetic management. Type-2 diabetes or hyperglycemia is one such disease which is particularly studied for plant-based therapy in the last few decades. Though various plant extracts and metabolites have been reported for potential hyperglycemic activities, the Cyperus species plants have acquired a unique place in the phytochemical study as they are endowed with various health-beneficial bioactive metabolites and have proven biological properties. The present report is focused on the Cyperus species plants that are studied for antidiabetic properties in vitro as well as in vivo and the potential metabolites identified for such activities. The antidiabetic studies of metabolites or crude products from plants such as Cyperus articulatus, Cyperus esculentus, Cyperus kyllingia, Cyperus laevigatus, Cyperus pangorei, Cyperus rotundus, Cyperus scariosus and Cyperus tegetum were reviewed. The metabolites, responsible for such activities were listed from the literature survey wherever purification and identification works were reported. The review focused on the importance of natural products in managing diabetes mellitus and the pharmaceutical importance of Cyperus plants in in managing diabetes, their pharmaceutical importance, drug safety and effectiveness. The secondary metabolites listed in this review may be helpful for further molecular and clinical-level research and drug design.