Antidiabetics and Antilipemics from Nature

In recent years, diabetes and hyperlipidemia have become common in people from all parts of the world. Both these diseases are characterized by elevated glucose and lipid levels, respectively. Apart from affecting the overall quality of life, these conditions eventually lead to various life-threatening complications. Several antidiabetics and antilipemic drugs are available in the market. But these drugs have some drawbacks and cause other side effects. The current therapies for these diseases also pose a financial burden to the patients. The main challenge that the healthcare system faces is to develop cost-effective drugs with minimum side effects. Natural products have always been fascinating to researchers in developing potential drugs for various diseases. Such type of drugs has gained much acceptance compared to conventional drugs. Plenty of drugs have been reported from natural sources like plants and microorganisms. Most of these drugs are found to be effective in treating diabetes and hyperlipidemia. The present chapter highlights the major antidiabetic and antilipemic drugs from various natural sources.