Natural Triterpenoids for the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus: A Review.

Triterpenoids, an important group of secondary metabolites, are widely distributed in nature. Many triterpenoids have been found with potential therapeutic effect against diabetes mellitus. However, the use of triterpenoids for the treatment of diabetes has not been systematically discussed previously. This review summarized the anti-diabetic activity of natural triterpenoids reported since the late 1980s with the emphasis on the molecular mechanisms.