Anti-diabetic Properties of Melissa officinalis and Saffron: Recent Advances and Discoveries

Aim: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic medical condition characterized by an accumulation of glucose in the bloodstream. Specifically, type 2 diabetes occurs when the body's cells are unable to efficiently respond to insulin, the hormone responsible for transporting circulatory glucose into cells. In the advanced stages of the disease, the body may also not produce sufficient amounts of insulin. As the disease progresses, the symptoms become more severe and potentially lead to a series of comorbidities. Although several medications are used to treat and control type 2 diabetes, these medications may have serious side effects. Hence, the use of herbal medicine to alleviate type 2 diabetes has been studied and has attracted widespread interest. Our major goal is to examine these herbs' effectiveness and related mechanisms of action in treating type 2 diabetes. Method: We studied worldwide traditional medicines, old texts, and published literature for anti-diabetic effect of Melissa officinalis and saffron. Electronic databases comprising PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus and Google Scholar were searched to collect articles published between 1990 and 2022 years. Results: We confirmed that a variety of herbal therapies, including saffron and lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), had anti-diabetic activities based on the findings of various research. Conclusion: Saffron and Melissa officinalis have anti-diabetic properties.