Natural Products as Outstanding Alternatives in Diabetes Mellitus: A Patent Review

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic syndrome that can be considered a growing health problem in the world. High blood glucose levels are one of the most notable clinical signs. Currently, new therapeutic alternatives have been tackled from clinicians' and scientists' points of view. Natural products are considered a promising source, due to the huge diversity of metabolites with pharmaceutical applications. Therefore, this review aimed to uncover the latest advances in this field as a potential alternative to the current therapeutic strategies for the treatment of DM. This purpose is achieved after a patent review, using the Espacenet database of the European Patent Office (EPO) (2016-2022). Final screening allowed us to investigate 19 patents, their components, and several technology strategies in DM. Plants, seaweeds, fungi, and minerals were used as raw materials in the patents. Additionally, metabolites such as tannins, organic acids, polyphenols, terpenes, and flavonoids were found to be related to the potential activity in DM. Moreover, the cellular transportation of active ingredients and solid forms with special drug delivery profiles is also considered a pharmaceutical technology strategy that can improve their safety and efficacy. From this perspective, natural products can be a promissory source to obtain new drugs for DM therapy.

Automated summary

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a growing health problem globally, characterized by high blood glucose levels. This review explores the potential of natural products as alternative therapeutic strategies for DM treatment. By analyzing 19 patents from the Espacenet database, it was found that plants, seaweeds, fungi, and minerals were used as raw materials, and metabolites such as tannins, organic acids, polyphenols, terpenes, and flavonoids showed potential activity. Additionally, pharmaceutical technology strategies, such as cellular transportation and solid forms with special drug delivery profiles, can enhance the safety and efficacy of these natural products.