From Ethnobotany to Nanotechnology: Translating Traditional Antidiabetic Remedies into Nanoformulations

Nantulya Morris Francis

Department of Clinical pharm and pharmaceutics Kampala International University Uganda

Email:Francis.nantulya@studwc.kiu.ac.ug

                                                                                      ABSTRACT
Diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous metabolic disorder in which chronic hyperglycemia arises from impaired insulin secretion, reduced insulin sensitivity, or both. Across many cultures, traditional antidiabetic remedies like infusions, decoctions, powders, and fermented preparations have been used to relieve classic symptoms and to support long-term metabolic balance. Modern pharmacology has identified antidiabetic phytochemicals in these botanicals, including polyphenols, alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, and polysaccharides that modulate carbohydrate digestion, insulin signaling, oxidative stress, inflammation, and β-cell function. However, translation is frequently limited by batch-to-batch variability, poor aqueous solubility, instability in the gastrointestinal tract, extensive first-pass metabolism, and non-specific biodistribution. Nanoformulations provide a bridge from ethnobotany to precision therapy by improving extract standardization, protecting labile constituents, enhancing mucosal absorption, enabling controlled release, and allowing tissue- or cell-directed delivery through surface engineering. This review synthesizes the translational workflow: ethnobotanical selection and prioritization, phytochemical profiling and quality control, selection of appropriate nanocarriers (polymeric, lipid, polysaccharide, protein, and green-synthesized inorganic systems), and evaluation of efficacy and safety in disease models. Key challenges include defining active markers within complex mixtures, scaling reproducible manufacturing, assessing nanotoxicology and herb–drug interactions, and ensuring ethical benefitsharing with knowledge-holding communities. Ethnobotany-informed nanomedicine can accelerate the development of culturally grounded, credible antidiabetic interventions.

Keywords: ethnobotany; traditional medicine; diabetes mellitus; nanoformulations; targeted delivery

CITE AS: Nantulya Morris Francis (2026). From Ethnobotany to Nanotechnology: Translating Traditional Antidiabetic Remedies into Nanoformulations. IDOSR JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SCIENCES 12(2): 15-25. https://doi.org/10.59298/IDOSR/JES/06/1221525