Management of diabetes and its complications through the role of antioxidants: Review

Diabetes is a chronic disease and affects a large rate of the population around the world. It is characterized by absolute or relative deficiencies in insulin secretion and/or insulin action and is associated with chronic hyperglycemia and disturbances of carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism. It is a multi-faceted metabolic disorder in which increased oxidative stress plays a key role in the pathogenesis of this debilitating disease. The imbalance between the reactive types (RS) and the antioxidants leads to the production of a condition called (oxidative stress) which causes the development of the condition to diabetes. This review has reported the beneficial effects of antioxidant (vitamins A, C, E, alpha lipoic acid, GSH and catalase) on the complications of diabetes. The use of antioxidants reduces oxidative stress and relieves complications of diabetes,while clinical trials are less clear. The aim of this review was to summarize the role of antioxidants in the management of diabetes and its complications through their free radical scavenging properties.