Background: In recent decades, numerous herbal products have been shown to have antihyperglycemic and beta cell-regenerative effects in animal studies. However, there is no clinical evidence that those products completely cure patients with type-1 diabetes (T1D). Therefore, it seems that most of the phytochemicals do not have a significant impact on human beta cells, and the results of experimental studies conducted on them may not be generalizable to the clinic.
Purpose: The present work aims to review extensively the methods and results of preclinical studies on phytotherapy of T1D published in the last 10 years.
Methods: This paper critically analyzes the designs of studies, treatment protocols, methods of diabetes induction, characteristics of the studied animals, clinical relevance, reproducibility of research, and other aspects related to conducting preclinical studies on T1D. We discussed limitations that make many of the results of these studies not generalizable to the clinic. Finally, some recommendations were given to improve studies on the phytotherapy of T1D to avoid misleading interpretations about the antidiabetic effect of herbal compounds.
Conclusion: This paper can be considered a practical guide for researchers interested in the field of phytotherapy of T1D to increase the reliability, reproducibility, and validity of their preclinical studies.
Keywords: Animal models; Diabetes; Insulin; Limitations; Phytotherapy; Plant.
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