Mechanism
and present drugs for therapy of diabetes mellitus
The present treatment of diabetes is focused on controlling
and lowering blood glucose to a normal level.
The mechanisms of both western medicines and the Chinese
traditional medicines to lower blood glucose are:
1. to stimulate beta -cell of pancreatic islet to release
insulin;
2. to resist the hormones which rise blood glucose;
3. to increase the number or rise the appetency and sensitivity
of insulin receptor site to insulin;
4. to decrease the leading-out of glycogen;
5. to enhance the use of glucose in the tissue and organ;
6. to clear away free radicals, resist lipid peroxidation
and
correct the metabolic disorder of lipid and protein;
7. to improve microcirculation in the body.
Traditional
medicine
1.
Radix Rehmanniae and Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata
Radix Rehmanniae is the roots of Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch.,
family Scrophulariaceae; Radix Rehmanniae Praeparata is also
the roots of Rehmannia glutinosa, prepared by steaming it
with wine and drying repeatedly. The pectin-like polysaccharide,
obtained from the rhizome of
Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. f. hueichingensis Hsiao, exhibited
hypoglycemic activity in normal and streptozotocin diabetic
mice.
The mechanism of the hypoglycemic activity is to stimulate
the secretion of insulin and reduce the glycogen content in
the liver of normal mice (Kiho et al., 1992; Zhang et al.,
1996).
Some preparations of this plant, for example, Seishin-kanro-to
(Miura et al., 1997) and Shokatsu-cha (Xiao-Ke-Ca) (Sanae
et al., 1996), have been developed and clinically used for
the treatment of diabetics. Besides polysaccharides, iridoids
(Nishimura
et al., 1990a,b), iridoid glycosides rehmannioside A, B, C,
and D (Oshio and Inouye, 1982), phenethyl alcohol derivatives
leucosceptoside A, purpureaside C (Nishimura et al., 1990a,b)
and monocyclic sesquiterpenes and their glycosides (Nishimura
et al., 1991) were isolated from the roots of Rehmannia glutinosa
as the active ingredients for
treatment of diabetic complications.
2. Radix Ophiopogonis
The root tubers of Ophiopogon japocicus (Thunb.) Ker-Gawl.,
family Liliaceae. Polysaccharides isolated from Radix Ophropogonis
significantly lowered blood sugar of normal and alloxan-diabetic
mice (Zhang and Wang, 1993a,b). The complex prescription of
Ginseng and Ophiopogon japonicus significantly reduced blood
sugar in alloxan-induced diabetic mice, but had no distinct
effect in normal mice (Fang et al., 1998).
3. Fructus Balsampear
The fruits of Momordica charantia L., family Cucurbitaceae.
Momordica charantia has been used as a treatment for diabetes
in India and China for thousands of years. At present, unripe
fruits, seeds and aerial parts of Momordica charantia Linn.
have a widespread use as vegetable and
phytomedicine in various parts of the world to treat diabetes.
Oral administration of the extract, fruit juice or seed powder
of Momordica charantia caused a significant reduction in fasting
blood glucose and improved glucose tolerance in normal and
diabetic animals and in humans (Raman and Lau, 1996; Miura
et al., 2001a,b; Fan and Cui, 2001; Srivastava et al., 1993;
Ahmed et al., 2001; Ahmad et al., 1999), also retardate retinopathy
in alloxan-induced diabetic rats (Srivastava et al., 1987).
Animal and in vitro data support both the insulin secretagogue
and insulinomimetic activity of the fruit (Raman and Lau,
1996). When purified compounds were administered to patients,
however, the effective dosage was found to be significantly
higher than the required dosage in the natural form (Riskey
and Jain, 1998). A wide range of compounds have been isolated
from Momordica charantia, of which, a polypeptide (p-insulin,
was named as “plant insulin”), the sterol glucoside
mixture charantin and the pyrimidine nucleoside vicine have
been identified as the orally anti-diabetic principles for
humans and animals (Khanna et al., 1981; Wang et al., 1991;
Zhang et al., 1992; Jiang, 1996; Raman and Lau, 1996).
4. Rhizoma Dioscoreae
The rhizomes of Dioscorea opposita Thunb., family Dioscoreaceae.
With a long history, Rhizoma Dioscoreae was traditionally
used in prescriptions or diets to treat Xiaokezheng (diabetes)
in China. The water decoction of Dioscorea opposita has an
anti-hyperglycemic effect to experimental diabetic mice (Hao
et al., 1991). Polysaccharides were considered to be the active
constituents.
Journal
of Ethnopharmacology 92 (2004) 1–21
5.
Radix Glehnia littoralis
Glehnia littoralis is a species of plant in the carrot family
known by several common names, including beach silvertop and
American silvertop in English, and bei sha shen(Chinese: ???)
and shan hu cai(Chinese: ???) in Chinese.
Glehnia littoralis
Common name: Bei sha shen Family: Umbelliferae
Author: F. Schmidt. Botanical references: 58
Synonyms: Phellopterus littoralis (Benth.)
Known Hazards: None known
Range: E. Asia - Japan. N. America.
Habitat: Sandy banks by the sea, all around Japan[58].
Plants For A Future Rating (1-5): 1
Other Common Names:
From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See
below. American Silvertop [P,B], Corkwing [H], Hama-Bohu [E],
Epithets: From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets littoralis
= of the sea shore; littoral;
Other Range Info: From the Ethnobotany Database China; Japan
Physical Characteristics
Perennial growing to 0.3m. . The flowers are hermaphrodite
(have both male and female organs). We rate it 1 out of 5
for usefulness.
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy
(clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline)
soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.
It requires moist soil.
Edible Uses
Leaves and stems[105, 116, 174, 177].
Young buds[174].
They are dug out from the sand[174].
Roots[105, 116,
177].
Used as a condiment,
resembling tarragon and angelica[46].
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Analgesic, antipyretic, diaphoretic and expectorant[174, 176].
Other Uses
None known
Cultivation details
None known
Propagation
Seed -
Web References
• [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names
in Henriette's names database
• [E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries)
from the Ethnobotany Database (sadly ftp only. The searchable
web pages have been pulled).
• [B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references)
from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora
of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
• [G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the
USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
• [P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the UDSA's
plants database.
References for Phellopterus littoralis (a possible synonym).
• [E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries)
from the Ethnobotany Database (sadly ftp only. The searchable
web pages have been pulled).
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources or the The Gatherer
where you can search many other sources all in one go.
References
[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim
1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives
very short descriptions of the uses without any details
of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian
Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.
[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of
the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come
across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though,
and some of the entries are more than a little dubious.
Not for the casual reader.
[116] Brooklyn Botanic Garden Oriental Herbs and Vegetables,
Vol 39 No. 2. Brooklyn Botanic Garden 1986
A small booklet packed with information.
[174] Kariyone. T. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.
A good Japanese herbal.
[176] Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas.
Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985
A very good Chinese herbal.
[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific
Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing
of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
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