The prevalence of diabetes mellitus has been increasing worldwide and it becomes one of the main diseases which affect human health. Many clinicians prescribe polytheraphy with two or more hypoglycemic agents to achieve better glucose control as a common practice. Patients also have to take drugs for long-term therapy with their attendant side effects in addition to their high costs. It may increase non-adherence therapy of diabetic patients. As a result, patients choose alternative treatment by using herbal medicines. To search new antidiabetic medicinal plants, we can use ethnopharmacy study as an option. This approach has been used to search locally important plant species to control diabetes mellitus in traditional medicinal systems of different cultures.
Key words: ethnopharmacy, diabetes mellitus, medicinal plants
