A Narrative Review of Moringa oleifera Lam., Moringaceae, Swietenia mahagoni L. Jacq., Meliaceae, and Momordica charantia L., Cucurbitaceae Plants Found in The Bahamas as Antidiabetes Phytomedicine

Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam., Moringaceae), West Indian mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni [L.] Jacq., Meliaceae), and Cerasee (Momordica charantia L., Cucurbitaceae) are plants that are used for medicinal purposes in The Bahamas. They have various medicinal uses, including treating diabetes, anemia, inflammation, dermatological issues, backaches, cold, flu, and gastrointestinal problems. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge about natural products found in The Bahamas that can be used to treat diabetes mellitus. The search terms "Moringa oleifera Lam.," "Swietenia mahagoni (L.)," "Momordica charantia L.," "Tecoma stans," "Persea americana," "Psidium guajava," "Hamelia patens," and "Carica papaya L." in combination with "diabetes" were utilized to obtain pertinent data by searching PubMed and Google Scholar. Moringa oleifera Lam. significantly decreased fasting glucose levels in rodents after 3 months of consumption. The ethanolic extract of S. mahagoni seeds and the methanol extract of its bark can decrease blood glucose levels. Momordica charantia L. and H. patens Jacq. produce the same hypoglycemic effects as metformin. The plant extracts and compounds of T. stans (L.) Juss. ex Kunth, P. americana Mill., P. guajava L., and C. papaya L. showed diverse pharmacological activities such as reducing fasting glucose, lowering blood pressure and blood sugar, decreasing total triglycerides and total cholesterol, and improving structural damage of cardiac muscles caused by diabetes. Literature analysis reveals that the diverse pharmacological activities of various plants native to The Bahamas show promise as a medicinal food in the treatment of diabetes.