Andrographis paniculata (A. paniculata) is a medicinal plant used in the Indian and Chinese traditional medicinal systems for its various beneficial properties of therapeutics. This is due to the presence of a diterpene lactone called ‘andrographolide’. Several biological activities like antiinflammatory, antitumour, anti-hyperglycaemic, anti-fertility, antiviral, cardio protective and hepatoprotective properties are attributed to andrographolide and its natural analogs. The studies have shown that not only this diterpene lactone (andrographolide), but also other related terpenoid analogs from A. paniculata could be exploited for disease prevention due to their structural similarity with diverse pharmacological activities. Several scientific groups are trying to unveil the underlying mechanisms involved in these biological actions brough aout by andrographolide and its analogs. This review aims at giving an overview on the therapeutical and/or pharmacological activities of andrographolide and its derivatives and also exemplify the underlying mechanisms involved.

Diabetes is a major chronic metabolic disorder globally and around of 285 million people are affected by the disease and the number is expected to double in the next two decades. The major focus of anti-diabetic therapies is to enhance insulin production, sensitivity and/or reduce the blood glucose level. Although several synthetic drugs have been developed as antidiabetic agents but their utility has been hampered due to their side effects and poor efficacy. In this scenario, research on natural products has been gained importance due their safety profile in toxicity studies. Terpenoids belong to an important class of natural products and several terpenoids have been reported as antidiabetic agents. Some of them are under various stages of pre-clinical and clinical evaluation to develop them as antidiabetic agents. These agents can inhibit enzymes responsible for the development of insulin resistance, normalization of plasma glucose and insulin levels and glucose metabolism. Triterpenes can act as promising agents in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy or in impaired wound healing by inhibiting several pathways involved in the diabetes and associated complications. However, efforts in understanding the biological actions and clinical studies involving the applications of triterpenes in treating diabetes are very limited. Hence, special attention is imperative to explore the therapeutic potential of these compounds and provide new information to the scientific community. This review aims to provide the recent advances in triterpenes chemistry, its derivatives, biological interventions and its therapeutic applications with special emphasis on diabetes and its associated disorders.