Traditional antidiabetic medicinal plants of Himachal Pradesh: ethnomedicinal evidence and drug-discovery potential

Diabetes mellitus is a rapidly increasing lifestyle disorder posing a serious global health threat. This review specifically focuses on indigenous medicinal plants of Himachal Pradesh, India, a region rich in ethnomedicinal diversity. The primary objective of this review is to systematically compile and analyze the ethnomedicinal, phytochemical, and pharmacological evidence of antidiabetic plants used in this region. Data were collected from various scientific sources including Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, books, and other relevant literature from published studies spanning the period from 1995 to 2025. According to literature, 80 ethnomedicinal herbs are believed to be effective in treating diabetes. For the preparation of natural remedies, different plant parts were often used such as roots (17%), leaves (24%), fruits (15%), bark (13%), whole plants (3%), and flowers (3%). These plants are widely used in the traditional healthcare practices of Himachal Pradesh. Furthermore, the review highlights traditionally used medicinal plants for diabetes management, along with the reported phytochemicals responsible for their antidiabetic activity. Moreover, available preclinical in-vivo studies on selected plants have been included to support their therapeutic potential. Furthermore, we suggest that future studies should include molecular docking analysis of the reported antidiabetic phytochemicals to better understand their mechanism of action at the molecular level. Additionally, conservation and sustainable utilization of these indigenous plant resources are crucial for future therapeutic applications.