Antihyperglycemic Effects and Molecular Mechanisms of Ibervillea sonorae (S. Watson) Greene: A Systematic Review of Preclinical Evidence.

Diabetes mellitus is a major global health challenge, and medicinal plants represent an important source of bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential. Ibervillea sonorae (S. Watson) Greene is traditionally used in Mexican medicine for diabetes management and has attracted increasing scientific interest because of its reported antihyperglycemic activity. This systematic review critically evaluated the available preclinical evidence regarding the antihyperglycemic effects of I. sonorae, its proposed molecular mechanisms, phytochemical context, and methodological limitations. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched for studies published between January 2010 and February 2026. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria, including animal, cellular, and enzyme-based models. The available evidence indicates that I. sonorae preparations may improve glycemic control through complementary mechanisms involving enhanced glucose uptake and insulin-related responses, including participation of the PI3K/AKT/GLUT4 signaling network, together with inhibition of α-glucosidase and α-amylase activity. AMPK-related mechanisms remain biologically plausible but have not been directly established across the included studies. Phytochemical evidence identifies cucurbitacin-derived constituents, including kinoins, as potentially relevant bioactive compounds; however, most mechanistic findings were obtained using crude extracts or other plant preparations, and their specific contribution cannot yet be attributed to individual constituents. Overall, this review integrates the fragmented preclinical evidence and identifies the principal mechanistic, phytochemical, and methodological gaps that must be addressed before clinical translation. I. sonorae represents a promising candidate for antihyperglycemic research, although phytochemical standardization, rigorous mechanistic studies, comprehensive safety evaluation, and well-designed clinical investigations are required to establish its therapeutic efficacy and safety.