In vitro evaluation of Leonotis leonurus to validate its potential as an alternative anti-diabetic drug

Abstract

Africa is a rich source of medicinal plants with South Africa being known as a country with a strong history of traditional healing, which masses a variety of approximately 30 000 flowering plants and accounting for almost 10% of the world’s higher plant species. Leonotis leonurus, a member of the Lamiaceae family, has shown potential biomedical applications in a great diversity of ailments and has shown to have antidiabetic activity, with the most common herbal active ingredients used in treating diabetes being flavonoids, tannins, phenolics, and alkaloids (Hussein, 2018). In the present study, L. leonurus was screened for possible bioactive chemicals.