%0 Journal Article
%T Traditional Indian Medicines Used for the Management of Diabetes Mellitus
%A Syed Ibrahim Rizvi
%A Neetu Mishra
%J Journal of Diabetes Research
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/712092
%X Plants have always been a source of drugs for humans since time immemorial. The Indian traditional system of medicine is replete with the use of plants for the management of diabetic conditions. According to the World Health Organization, up to 90% of population in developing countries use plants and its products as traditional medicine for primary health care. There are about 800 plants which have been reported to show antidiabetic potential. The present review is aimed at providing in-depth information about the antidiabetic potential and bioactive compounds present in Ficus religiosa, Pterocarpus marsupium, Gymnema sylvestre, Allium sativum, Eugenia jambolana, Momordica charantia, and Trigonella foenum-graecum. The review provides a starting point for future studies aimed at isolation, purification, and characterization of bioactive antidiabetic compounds present in these plants. 1. Introduction Diabetes mellitus is a growing problem worldwide entailing enormous financial burden and medical care policy issues [1]. According to International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the number of individuals with diabetes in 2011 crossed 366 million, with an estimated 4.6 million deaths each year [2]. The Indian subcontinent has emerged as the capital of this diabetes epidemic. The reported prevalence of diabetes in adults between the ages of 20 and 79 is as follows: India 8.31%, Bangladesh 9.85%, Nepal 3.03%, Sri Lanka 7.77%, and Pakistan 6.72% [3]. Indians show a significantly higher age-related prevalence of diabetes when compared with several other populations [4]. For a given BMI, Asian Indians display a higher insulin level which is an indicator of peripheral insulin resistance. The insulin resistance in Indians is thought to be due to their higher body fat percentage [5, 6]. Excess body fat, typical abdominal deposition pattern, low muscle mass, and racial predisposition may explain the prevalence of hyperinsulinemia and increased development of type 2 diabetes in Asian Indians. Diabetes is characterized by metabolic dysregulation primarily of carbohydrate metabolism, manifested by hyper-glycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, impaired insulin action, or both [7]. Uncontrolled diabetes leads to a plethora of complications affecting the vascular system, eyes, nerves, and kidneys leading to peripheral vascular disease, nephropathy, neuropathy, retinopathy, morbidity, and/or mortality. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 90% of the population in developing countries uses plants and its products as traditional medicine for
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jdr/2013/712092/