Kaempferol from Medicinal Plants: A Comprehensive Review of its Anti-Diabetic Effects

M.A.Al-attar, Wafaa; Ghazi Atiyah, Khitam; Aadi Ubaid, Hussein; Jawad Kadhim, Alaa; Abbas Ahmed, Sabah; M.A.ALI, Majeed; Barzgar, Behnam; Shafie Masabi, Narges; Ahmadi, Hadi

doi:10.22034/jmpb.2025.368448.1889

Kaempferol from Medicinal Plants: A Comprehensive Review of its Anti-Diabetic Effects

Articles in Press

Document Type : Full issue file

Authors

¹ College of Nursing, Al-Bayan University, Baghdad, Iraq

² Department of Psychiatric and mental health Nursing, College of Nursing, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

³ Department of Nursing, Al-kut university college, Iraq

⁴ Department of Adult Nursing, College of Nursing, University of Baghdad, Iraq

⁵ Ibn Khaldun Private University College, Baghdad, Iraq

⁶ Department of Nursing, Ferdows Faculty of Medical Sciences, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran

⁷ Ferdows Rasoul Hospital ,Birjand University of Medical Sciences ,Ferdows ,Iran

10.22034/jmpb.2025.368448.1889

Abstract

Due to the high prevalence of diabetes and the promising effects of Kaempferol, this review assesses its molecular, cellular, and metabolic effects relevant to diabetes. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Google Scholar was conducted for articles published between 2010 and 2023 using relevant keywords. Kaempferol modulates glucose metabolism, enhances hepatic enzyme activity, and improves lipid profiles through multiple mechanisms. Specifically, it protects pancreatic β-cells by inhibiting apoptosis, promoting proliferation, and increasing their number, which is valuable in preventing and treating type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Studies show that kaempferol reduces serum HbA1c levels (by an average of 20% if used for more than six months (and fasting blood glucose while increasing insulin sensitivity. Oral administration of kaempferol (5 mg/Kg) reduced blood glucose levels as compared to metformin (50 mg/Kg), while it does not have the harmful effects of metformin and other medications. Meanwhile, another therapeutic difference between Kaempferol is that, compared to other supplements and medications, it has positive effects on other systems of the body rather than destructive and negative effects, including on the liver and kidney systems. However, effects on weight vary across studies, possibly due to differences in dosage and study duration. Kaempferol also plays a multi-target role in diabetic nephropathy therapy, primarily via anti-oxidative stress and anti-inflammatory effects. Further clinical trials are needed to clarify conflicting results and fully establish its therapeutic potential in diabetes management.

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