Diabetes is caused due to deficiency in production of insulin by the pancreas, or by the ineffectiveness of the insulin produced. It is a global problem and the numbers of people affected are increasing day by day. Plants provide a potential source of antidiabetic drugs. In India, most of the people, especially in rural areas use traditional medicine of plants to treat many diseases including diabetes. The aim of the present study was to document medicinal plants, traditionally used to treat diabetes by the people of Perambalur district. Traditional health practitioners were interviewed with standardized questionnaires in order to obtain information on medicinal plants traditionally used for the management of diabetes. Thirty species of 29 genera and 22 families were encountered during this study

V.Gomathi,  R. Rajendran, D. Devendrakumar, M. Anbazhagan,

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Recent Research in Science and Technology 2009, 1(6): 287–290 ISSN: 2076-5061 www.recent-science.com  ETHNOMEDICINE, PHARMACY & PHARMACOLOGY TRADITIONAL PHYTOTHERAPY FOR DIABETES USED BY THE PEOPLE OF PERAMBALUR DISTRICT, TAMILNADU, SOUTH INDIA   D. Devendrakumar1, M. Anbazhagan2, V.Gomathi1,  R. Rajendran2 1Research and Development, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore-641 046, Tamilnadu, India 2Department of Botany, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar-608002, Tamilnadu, India  Abstract Diabetes is caused due to deficiency in production of insulin by the pancreas, or by the ineffectiveness of the insulin produced. It is a global problem and the numbers of people affected are increasing day by day. Plants provide a potential source of antidiabetic drugs. In India, most of the people, especially in rural areas use traditional medicine of plants to treat many diseases including diabetes. The aim of the present study was to document medicinal plants, traditionally used to treat diabetes by the people of Perambalur district. Traditional health practitioners were interviewed with standardized questionnaires in order to obtain information on medicinal plants traditionally used for the management of diabetes. Thirty species of 29 genera and 22 families were encountered during this study.   Key Words: Traditional; Diabetes; Phytotherapy; Perambulur district.                                                            Corresponding Author, Email: anbungm@yahoo.co.in  Introduction Diabetes is a major disease and growing health problem in most of the countries. It is a state of having excessive level of glucose in the blood. Insulin, a hormone and a major regulator of the glucose content in the blood is produced insufficient quantities in the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. In people with diabetes the metabolic process is completely disturbed either due to lack of insulin or due to ineffectiveness of insulin that their bodies produce [1]. As a result, the body becomes unable to produce insulin, a pancreatic hypoglycaemic hormone. This disorder is characterized by polyuria (frequent and abundant urines), glycosuria (presence of glucose in urines) and hyperglycaemia (glucose rate on an empty stomach higher than 1.2 g/l in plasma blood). Diabetes leads to other complications like kidney failure and eye defects [2]. Diabetes is a major cause of disability and death [3]. The adoption of a sedentary lifestyle, the consumption of non-traditional foods, and a genetic predisposition to the disease are thought to be the major underlying causes of this disease [4-6]. Diabetes requires a lifelong treatment and people recognized and used the medicinal properties of many cultivated and wild plants to recover from diabetes. The management of diabetes without any side effects is still a challenge to the medical system [7]. Recent advances in the management of diabetes have considerably improved the outcome, but this is dependent on patient's awareness about the disease and their efforts to achieve the target goals. There are indications that the awareness about diabetes and its complications is rather very poor in Asian countries, where the burden of the disease is highest in the world [8]. Now a day, people believe on the phytoremedy for diabetes and world focus has been turned to traditional treatments using plants rather than English medicine (Allopathy).   India leads the world in the number of people suffering from diabetes and by 2030, nearly 9 % of the country’s population is likely to be affected by this disease, the International Diabetic Federation (IDF) has warned. About 50.8 million people of India are now suffering from the looming epidemic of diabetes, followed by China with 43.2 million. There are 285 million or 7 % of the world populations have been affected by diabetes. Diabetes has become a serious issue of every country and it threatens the health and economic prosperity of people. It also predicted that diabetes would cost the world economy at least $376 billion by 2010, or 11.6 % of D. Devendrakumar et al./Rec Res Sci Tech 1 (2009) 287-290  the total world health care expenditure. By 2030, this cost is projected to exceed $490 billion.  More than 80 % of spending on diabetes is in the world’s richest countries, where over 70 % of people with diabetes are living. India currently spends $2.8 billion or 1 % of the global cost to fight the same [9]. Though, diabetes seems to be an alarming disease, no work has been done so for to examine the antidiabetic potential of medicinal plants from Perambalur District of Tamilnadu state, South India.  India has an officially recorded list of 45,000 plant species and a various estimation of 7500 species of medicinal importance [10]. Since times immemorial, plant based drugs have been in use in the amelioration of various ailments ranging from common cold to cancer. In Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani systems of medicine, several herbs or plant products have been used for the treatment and management of diabetes. Though regular synthetic drugs have made considerable progress in the management of diabetes, traditional plant treatments for diabetes are also being used throughout the world and the search for natural anti-diabetic plant products for controlling diabetes is still going on. Anti-diabetic medicinal plants undoubtedly have significant effect on the lowering of blood sugar but their mechanism of action is yet to be elucidated. The first evidence that the natural products have insulin potentiating activity was reported in 1929 by Glazer and Halpern. Several medicinal plants having anti-diabetic properties have been listed in various studies [11-16]. Apart from currently available therapeutic options, many herbal medicines have been recommended for the treatment of diabetes. Traditional plant medicines are used throughout the world for a range of diabetic presentations. Herbal drugs are prescribed widely because of their effectiveness, less side effects and relatively low cost [17]. Therefore, investigation on such agents from traditional medicinal plants has become more important [18]. India has a rich history of using various potent herbs and herbal components for treating diabetes. Many Indian plants have been investigated for their beneficial use in different types of diabetes and reported in numerous scientific journals. Therefore, the present work has been made to document the indigenous medicinal plants used of the people of Perambalur District of Tamilnadu state for diabetes.  Materials and Methods Perambalur district is an inland district of Tamilnadu, spreads over 3,691 Sq. km. without any coastal line. It is geographically located between 10º 54’ and 11º.30’ of Northern latitude and 78º 40’ and 79º 30’ of the eastern latitude. In order to enumerate the medicinal plants and to note their seasonal variation in growth and productivity, different localities and colleting spots of Perambalur district were surveyed at regular intervals for about 2 years. The informations were gathered from many old people, vaidyas and medicine men of study areas. Subsequently, the informations gathered were confirmed with literatures for authentification of preparation of drugs from various plants. For this study, plants were collected from different localities and voucher specimens were prepared and identified with the help of suitable literatures namely, Indian Materia Medica, Flora of the Presidency of Madras, The flora of the plani hills, The Flora of the Tamilnadu Carnatic and Indian Medicinal plants [19-25].    Results and Discussion The table shows a documentation of plant species collected from the study areas based on traditional reputation for their use as antidiabetes. Fifteen informants who had many years of experience in the use of traditional medicine were interviewed about the plants used for treatment of diabetes and the plant parts mostly reported in this regards were the root bark (16%), stem bark (12%), leaves (40%), flower (6%), fruit (10%), seed (6%) and whole plant (10%). The method of preparation was mostly a decoction or a hot water infusion usually prepared just before use. The plant material was used fresh or in dried form and most plants to be used as a remedy were stored for later use in the dry state, which allowed their utilization throughout the year. Doses were mainly taken twice a day i.e. at the morning and evening. Treatment was supposed to be continued until recovery.  The aim of the ethnomedical survey and documentation was to catalogue the plants used traditionally against diabetes. A considerable amount of duplication of information relating to the use of the plants was reported by several informants which may confirm the antidiabetes efficacy of traditional herbal remedies prepared from these species. Most of the plants collected have been reported in the literature earlier, as they having been used for diabetes and this is an indication that the healers could be trusted over the use of these plants. The results of this study show that a large number of medicinal plants are traditionally used for the treatment of diabetes among the people particularly in rural areas of Perambalur district. Thirty species of  29 genera and 22 families were documented. Apocynaceae, Caesalpiniaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Lamiaceae, Malvaceae, Moraceae, Myrtaceae and Rutaceae families represented the species of this kind twice.  288 D. Devendrakumar et al./Rec Res Sci Tech 1 (2009) 287-290    Table - Plant species collected from Perambalur district, based on traditional reputation for their use as antidabetes                                         Diabetes is a disorder of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism attributed to diminished production of insulin. Herbal treatments for diabetes have been used in patients with insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Scientific validation of several Indian plant species has proved the efficacy of the botanicals in reducing the sugar level. From the reports on their potential effectiveness against diabetes, it is assumed that the botanicals have a major role to play in the management of diabetes, which needs further exploration for necessary development of drugs and nutraceuticals from natural resources [26-29]. However many herbal remedies used today have not undergone careful scientific assessment and some have the potential to cause serious toxic effects and major drug-to-drug interaction. Continuing research is necessary to elucidate the pharmacological activities of herbal remedies now being used to treat diabetes.  Acknowledgments The authors duly acknowledged the local herbalist in particular and other people of Perambalur District who 289 D. Devendrakumar et al./Rec Res Sci Tech 1 (2009) 287-290  have rendered necessary help and guidance during this study.  References 1. Naga Rajua, G.J.,  P. Saritaa, G.A.V. Ramana Murtya, M. RaviKumara, B. Seetharami Reddya, M. John Charlesa, S. Lakshminarayanaa, T. 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Traditional Phytotherapy for Diabetes Used by the People of Perambalur District, Tamilnadu, South India

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Traditional Phytotherapy for Diabetes Used by the People of Perambalur District, Tamilnadu, South India

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