45
Journal of Herbal Medicine and Toxicology 2 (1) 45-50 (2008)ISSN : 0973-4643Review Article
ANTI-DIABETIC POTENTIAL AND INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS
K.A. Wadkar*, C.S Magdum, S.S.Patil and N.S.Naikwade
Appasaheb Birnale College of pharmacy, South shivaji nagar, Sangli, Maharashtra
Received :
08 November, 2007;
Accepted :
20 December, 2007
Abstract : The present article gives a general idea of diabetic mellitus, its treatment by using insulin, oral hypoglycaemic drugs and herbal drugs. Despite considerable progress in the treatment of diabetes by oral hypoglycaemic agents, search for newer drugs continues because the existing synthetic drugs have several limitations .The herbal drugs with antidiabetic activity are yet to be commercially formulated as modern medicines, even though they have been acclaimed for their therapeutic properties in the traditional systems of medicine.
Keywords:
Anti-diabetic activity, Herbal Drugs, Oral hypoglycaemic agents,Active chemical constituents.
INTRODUCTION
Diabetes mellitus is a clinical syndrome characterizedby inappropriate hyperglycemia caused by a relativeor absolute deficiency of insulin or by a resistance tothe action of insulin at the cellular level. It is the mostcommon endocrine disorder, affecting 16 millionindividuals in the United States and as many as 200million worldwide. Diabetes has been a clinical modelfor general medicine. The primary defect in fuelmetabolism results in widespread, multi-organcomplications that ultimately encompass virtually everysystem of the body and every specialty of medicine.It has been said that to know diabetes is to knowmedicine and health care. Although from a clinicalstandpoint this may be true, our increasing knowledgeof the pathophysiology of the syndrome, together withthe mechanisms of long- term complications, hasplaced diabetes research at the frontier of immunologyand molecular biology.
1
Diabetes mellitus has been known since ages and thesweetness of diabetic urine has been mentioned inAyurveda by Sushruta. Its pharmacotherapy howeveris over 80 years old. The word diabetes was coined bythe Greek physician Aeretaeus in the first centuryA.D.In the 17
th
century, Willis observed that the urine of diabetics as wonderfully sweet as if imbued with honeyor sugar. The presence of sugar in the urine of diabeticswas demonstrated by Dobson in 1755.
2
Diabetes is a chronic disease affecting around 2-3 %of the population worldwide. Unfortunately, after theintroduction of sulfonylurea and metformin about 50years back no major lead has been obtained in thisdirection of finding a proper drug for diabetes. Plantmaterials which are being used as traditional medicinefor the treatment of diabetes are considered one of the good sources for a new drug or a lead to make anew drug. Plant extract or different folk plantpreparations are being prescribed by the traditionalpractioners and also accepted by the users fordiabetes like for any other diseases in many countriesespecially in third world countries. Now-a days morethan 400 plants are being used in different forms forhypoglycaemic effects all the claims practitioners orusers are neither baseless nor absolutely. Therefore,a proper scientific evaluation a screening of plant bypharmacological tests followed by chemicalinvestigations is necessary.
Some plants having hypoglycemic activity asstudied by Nahar
3
(Table no-1)Diabetes mellitus is wide spread disorder, which haslong been in the history of medicine .Before the adventof insulin and oral hypoglycaemic drugs the major formof treatment involved the use of the plants. But nowfrom the last two decades there has been a new trend
in the preparation and marketing of herbal drugs.Further it has been estimated that in the U.S. 25% of all prescription dispensed from community pharmaciescontain plant extracts
.On the basis of etiology two main categories of diabetes are recognized, viz.Primary diabetesSecondary diabetes
It is divided into two types.Juvenile onset diabetes which is also referred as Type1 or Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus(IDDM)In Juvenile onset diabetes there is a profounddecrease in the number of b cells in the islet of Langerhans and thus there is absolute deficiency of insulin. The main treatment for this type is insulin.Maturity onset diabetes which is also referred as TypeII / Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)The patients are usually obese and the treatment isusually dietary, though supplementary oralhypoglycaemic drugs. It is diagnosed by blood orurinary glucose measurement. Insulin resistances aswell as loss of insulin secretion contribute to the onsetof disease.
The symptoms result from the followingPancreatic dysfunction (pancreatitis, pancreatectomy).Hormonal imbalance (eg : Acromegaly, pheochroma-cytoma, Cushing’s syndrome, glucagonoma).Drugs or chemical induced reactions (eg:glucocorticoids, anticancer agents, streptozotocin ordiazoxide, thiazide, some psychoactive agents).
Diagnosis of early Diabetes MellitusIn moderately severe early diabetes, followingfeatures are present.Hyperglycemia.Glycosuria.Loss of weight due to increased breakdown of fatand tissue protein.Increased production of ketone bodies by liver andtheir incomplete utilization by the tissue leading to theiraccumulation in blood (Ketosis) and elimination inurine (Ketonuria).Lowering of P
of blood due to circulating keto acids(acidosis).Dehydration due to elimination of large amounts of water with glucose in urine.Increased levels of lipid, fatty acids and cholesterolin blood (lipemia).Increased tendency to develop cataract in the eyeand atheromatous and artherosclerotic lesions of bloodvessels
Trigonella foenum-gracecum Nephoelepsis tuberoseCostus speciousPlantago ovata Allium sativum Hemidesmus indicus Allium cepa
Currently the presence of abnormally high glucoselevels in the blood is the only criterion on whichdiagnosis of diabetes mellitus is based.A sensitive diagnostic criterion is provided by glucose-tolerance test. After a night without food, the patientdrinks a test dose of 100g of glucose dissolved in aglass of water. The blood glucose concentration ismeasured before the test dose and at 30 min. intervalsfor several hours thereafter. A normal individualassimilates glucose readily, the blood glucose risingto no more than about 9 or 10mM; little or no glucoseappears in urine. Diabetic individuals assimilate thetest dose of glucose poorly; their glucose level farexceeds the kidney threshold (about 10 mM) causingglucose to appear in their urine.
InsulinOral hypoglycaemic DrugsHerbal Drugs.InsulinInsulin is hormone secreted by the â cells of the isletsof langerhans in the pancreas. The diabetic mellitushas been well known as a wasting disease due toinsulin deficiency in human beings. The pancreasesecrete insulin. Carbohydrate metabolism is primarilyunder the control of insulin. Insulin deficiency occursin a person due to the functional disorder of thepancreas.
These drugs lower blood glucose level andare effective orally. The chief drawback of insulin isit must be given by injection. Hence, the search fororally active drugs was demanded.
Sulphonylureas activate receptors on the âislet cells of the pancrease to release more storedinsulin in response to glucose. They do not increase
Table 2 : The main features of GIT curve in normal persons, prediabetic persons, mild diabetic,severe diabetes are as follows:
1. Fasting blood sugar 80-120 mg/100ml105-110mg/100ml115-125mg/100ml150-160mg/100ml2. Blood sugar reaches its peak to in 1 hr.130mg/100ml150-160mg/100ml190-200mg/100ml320-350mg/100ml.3. Returns to the fasting levelAt the end of 2-21/2 hr.At the end of 3 hrs.-At the endof 4hrs4. Urine No glucose No glucose1- 2 %glucoseMore than2%
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