Abstract
Throughout the world, diabetes mellitus is a common and serious metabolic disorder that is characterized by
elevated plasma glucose levels due to an impairment in the action or secretion of insulin. Chronic impairment
in plasma glucose levels eventually results in damage to the micro-vascular circulation, especially the eyes,
kidneys, nerves and blood vessels. Prolonged hyperglycaemia will eventually result in life threatening
complications (Peer et al., 2014). Chronic non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease,
cancer, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes have become a great contributor to the mortality rate world
wide. Despite attempts to prevent and control the epidemic with various interventions and strategies, the
number of people suffering from non-communicable diseases are increasing at an alarming rate in South
Africa and around the world (Solomons et al., 2017). Prominent causes of these non-communicable diseases
can be prevented, however, urgent interventions are needed along with efficient strategies to deal with the
associated risk factors of these diseases (Boutayeb and Boutayeb, 2005).
There are several drugs that are effective in lowering hyperglycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes
mellitus, however, these drugs have a high incidence of side effects such as gastrointestinal complications,
thus leading to an increasing number of people seeking alternative therapy with fewer adverse effects
(Colledge et al., 2010).
Several medicinal plants have been identified to lower blood glucose levels and to treat the symptoms and
complications of diabetes mellitus. Syzygium jambolanum is a commonly used medicinal plant for the
treatment of various disorders, especially diabetes mellitus and its complications. Many clinical and
experimental studies have shown that different parts of the Syzygium jambolanum plant are known to possess
a wide range of medicinal properties, effective in lowering blood glucose levels as well as preventing the
complications of hyperglycaemia (Chagas et al. 2015). Syzygium jambolanum has been studied extensively
for more than a century and promising results in both animal and human studies for its ability to lower blood
glucose levels have been reported (Elavarasi et al., 2013). However, very few studies have been conducted in
humans (Helmstadter, 2008).
This systematic review was based on the available literature accessed from the University of Johannesburg
electronic database. The Cochrane Collaboration guidelines were followed to identify and analyse any
available literature pertaining to the anti-diabetic properties of the different parts of Syzygium jambolanum to...