Abstract

Diabetes is an enormously understood disorder, having a paramount disease burden globally. Although treatments are available for the management of the disease, there are asso-ciated side effects. A deep-rooted need is to have a comprehensive treatment without any ram-ifications. Ethnomedicine has been practised in various regions and cultures for ages. Howev-er, a lack of significant scientific data has been a drawback for such treatment and its formula-tions. There is increasing empirical evidence for various phytoconstituents showing promising results for addressing the pathophysiology of diabetes. Not only have a plethora of phytocon-stituents been reported, but their mechanisms have also been understood in detail. In this sce-nario, bioactive isolates obtained from marine algae offer numerous opportunities for manag-ing the intricate blood-glucose dynamics associated with diabetes. Marine algal phytoconstitu-ents inhibited several diabetes enzymes and improved serum parameters, which have also been shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, and other therapeutic actions through in vitro and in vivo research. Hence, this article reviews the major marine phytocon-stituents from macroalgae and their molecular mechanisms for managing diabetes. The results of this review indicate that marine bioactive components have demonstrated high potential to mitigate diabetes, but there have not been many clinical trials done in this area. A principal strategy for the success of any drug discovered belongs to commercialization, including clini-cal trials and production feasibility. The article also elaborates on the current challenges asso-ciated with the supply and consumption of commercial phytoconstituents.

Keywords: Diabetes, marine algae, phytoconstituents, antioxidants, enzymes, drug targets, mechanisms.