Indian and Australian plant extracts could help manage diabetes
Swinburne University of Technology researchers investigate 12 medicinal plant extracts
Scientists have isolated some Indian and Australian medicinal plant extracts that could potentially help manage diabetes.
Researchers from Australia's Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne have investigated 12 medicinal plant extracts to determine their potential in slowing down two key enzymes α-amylase and α-glucosidase that break down carbohydrates from the diet into simple sugars.
The extracts comprise seven Australian aboriginal medicinal plants and five Indian ayurvedic plants. Of the plant extracts evaluated, Australian sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) and the Indian kino tree (Pterocarpus marsupium) have reportedly had the greatest effect in slowing down both enzymes.
The extracts of Sandhill wattle (Acacia ligulata), pale turpentine bush (Beyeria leshnaultii), velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens) and tar vine (Boerhaavia diffusa) were effective against α-glucosidase only.
The study further found that wanderrie wattle (Acacia kempeana) and Sandhill wattle had an antioxidant effect, eliminating free radicals, which are implicated in diabetes.
More than 180 million people worldwide currently suffer from diabetes, with India the second-largest affected nation in the world after China. In 2011, around 5% of the total Indian population was affected by diabetes which is expected to reach 9% by 2030.
The findings of the Australian research team are published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.