Medicinal Plants Classification Biosynthesis and ... - Index of

Management of Diabetes with Diet and Plant-Derived Drugs
pressure and elevated cholesterol), adverse effects of that therapy, contraindications to
therapy, issues which may affect compliance (timing of medication, frequency of dosing) and
cost to the patient and the healthcare system should be considered alongside the magnitude of
change in blood sugar control that each medication will provide. Moreover, the relatively
complication-free option of diet and life style change should be considered.
Management of Diabetes with Traditional
Medicinal Plants and Dietary Control
An important research area is the discovery and development of more effective and safer
antidiabetic agents. In this context, medicinal plants and diet continue to play an important
role in the treatment of diabetes, particularly in developing countries where most people have
limited resources and do not have access to modern treatment (5). A recent survey of the
frequency of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in diabetes patients
found that most of the patients using CAM are better educated, born in cities, live in large
families and were suffering from diabetes for longer duration. This included herbal
preparations (garden thyme, pomegranate syrup, stinging nettle, dog-rose, chervil, cinnamon,
and bitter almond), acupuncture and meditation. Further, it was reported that more than half
of the subjects who were using CAM experienced beneficial effects (9).
Many plants and their active chemical compounds have demonstrated activity in the
treatment of Type II diabetes and various other disorders. According to ethno botanical
information, more than 800 plants are used as traditional remedies in one or other form for
the treatment of diabetes (10). Many different moieties, chemical groups and chemical
constituents with therapeutic efficacy have been isolated and purified from plants which were
traditionally used to treat disease. One should note that metformin, the single most prescribed
agent for the treatment of diabetes, originated from herbal medicine (11, 12) and was derived
from galegine. Experimental and clinical evaluations of galegine, isolated from Galega
officinalis provided the pharmacological and chemical basis for the subsequent discovery of
metformin (11, 13). 1- Deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), a potent α-glucosidase inhibitor which helps
in prevention of diabetes, was isolated from the water extract of leaves of mulberry trees
(Morus alba L.) (14).
Diet has long been the keystone in the treatment of diabetes and various other diseases.
The Ebers Papyrus prescribed in 1550 BC that a diet rich in wheatgerm and ochra has
glucose-lowering efficacy (12). Diet and lifestyle play an important role in the management
of several diseases, including diabetes. Before the introduction of the therapeutic use of
insulin, diet was the main form of treatment and dietary measures included the use of
traditional medicines mainly derived from plants (15).
The ancient Indian medical system of Ayurveda, which is based on scientific principles,
has also described diabetes under the name madhumeha, stating it to be mainly influenced by
dietary factors such as excessive eating of sugary, acidic or salty food; certain non-vegetarian
foodstuffs; and lifestyle factors such as lack of exercise, overindulgence in sleep, sedentary
habits, lack of cleanliness and ―suppression of natural urges‖. Current studies have confirmed
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