The diabetes is the third leading cause of death in the world. The diabetic population is increasing day by day.The report of WHO shows that the diabetic population was 60 millions in 1980, 118 millions in 1995 and there will be 220 millions in 2010. Therefore, it is very important to focus on the research to find the cure to such disease, which is not only killing the lives and deteriorating the health but also, a huge social and economical burden to the nation.
Although some people prefer to say that diabetes is a Westem disease, there is already description of diabetes in the oriental literature claimed as 3500 years old. It is one of the oldest known human diseases. So far known, there are more than 1200 hypoglycemic plants already reported and many of them are used for the treatment of diabetes in several countries. None of the phytomedicines, so far reported, sufficiently meets the criteria for a medicine such as safety, efficacy, mode of action, bioavialibity, dosage, carrier system etc. to be used clinically.
There are several scientific evidences for the cause of diabetes mellitus and one major cause is the gradual destruction of insulin-producing {3 -cells in the pancreas. On this regard,the role of GAD”65, IRS, Thl andτ'h2 cells activities, and reactive oxygen spices (ROS) including SOD-activity, have been studied. Vitamin C, vitamin E, nicotinamide, lipoic acid, N-acetyl-L-cysteine are some of the substances showing the preventive action on diabetes. However, there is no systematic study on the role of natural medicines and their actions in preventing diabetes.
The main challenge for the natural medicines in 21'1 century is the systematic study. In the present review, an attempt was made to focus on the medicinal plants which are used as a traditional medicine in more than two countries. Moreover, only a few of them are taken to clinical trails. The total literature survey suggests that the use of hypoglycemic plant remedies clinically requires further systematic study.
引用
和漢薬研究所年報, 第27巻, 2001.04.20, Page 16-23
雑誌名
和漢薬研究所年報 = Annual Report Research Institute for Wakan-Yaku, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University
Is it Possible to Cure Diabetes Mellitus by Herbal Treatment in Twenty First Century
INMTMPU_Annualreport_27_01-02_Page016to023.pdf
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