Essential oil components with antidiabetic and anti-obesity properties: a review of mechanisms of action and toxicity

Diabetes and obesity are critical health concerns in the world, characterized by weak insulin secretion and activity, leading to increased blood glucose concentrations and an accumulation of excess body fat. There are conventional drugs currently used to treat these conditions, but they provide only short periods of glycemic control, are expensive, and are scarcely available in underdeveloped and developing countries. EOs are complex mixtures of aromatic and volatile compounds obtained from plants. They have numerous pharmacological and industrial applications, including anti-cancer, insecticidal, anti-microbial, anti-obesity, and antidiabetic. This review sought to investigate and organize established in vitro, in vivo, ex vivo, and in silico data, highlighting possible mechanisms of action of essential oils to treat and/or manage diabetes and obesity. The results showed that numerous essential oils from plant parts possess antidiabetic and anti-obesity properties, suggesting that essential oils can be exploited as potential antidiabetic and anti-obesity drugs.