Hypoglycemic Activity of Medicinal Plants Used among the Cakchiquels in Guatemala for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major health problem worldwide. In this condition, the organism can produce insulin but becomes resistant to it; thus the insulin is ineffective. High blood glucose levels are a result of insulin resistance and insulin deficiency; they produce diabetes-associated complications such as kidney failure, blindness, cardiovascular disease, and lower-limb amputation. In Guatemala, there were over 752.700 cases of the disease in 2017 with prevalence of 8.4 (IDF, 2017). The use of plants for medicinal purposes has been practiced in the country since pre-Hispanic times. Among the Cakchiquels, the aerial parts of Hamelia patens Jacq., Neurolaena lobata (L.) R.Br. ex Cass., and Solanum americanum Mill. and the cortex of Croton guatemalensis Lotsy are used to treat type 2 diabetes. The aim of the present study was to confirm the hypoglycemic effect of the plants under normal conditions and under maltose and sucrose tolerance tests, as well as to test the activity of the plant extracts in vitro against alpha-glucosidases types I and II. In agreement with the traditional usage of the plants, in normal conditions without a sugar load, the extracts produced a statistically significant hypoglycemic effect similar to the control drug glibenclamide. When the sugar load was maltose, only Croton and Solanum produced a statistically significant (p < 0.05) hypoglycemic effect compared to the control drug, but when the sugar was sucrose, Croton and Hamelia produced a statistically significant effect (p < 0.05) beginning at 30 min compared to the control group, while Solanum did so at 60 min and Neurolaena at 90 min. In vitro assays showed that the extracts inhibited yeast alpha-glucosidases but not the rat intestinal ones. Of the tested plants, Croton exert an effect both under sugars' tests and under a normal tolerance test; these results suggest the potential use of this plant. The results presented here provided evidence based on the use of these plants as hypoglycemic agents in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Hypoglycemic Effect of Calea urticifolia (Mill.) DC.

“…To determine whether the infusion used at the traditional dose produces a hypoglycemic effect in the fasting state, we performed an acute experiment [ 16 ]. In brief, hyperglycemic animals were divided into four groups (1–4) of six rats each: (1) a normal control group in which each rat received 1.5 mL of physiological NaCl solution by gavage (vehicle); (2) a hyperglycemic control group in which each rat received 1.5 mL of physiological NaCl solution; (3) a positive control group in which each rat received the standard oral hypoglycemic agent glibenclamide (Euglucon®) at the dose of 5 mg/kg b.w.…”

A Review on Worldwide Ephedra History and Story: From Fossils to Natural Products Mass Spectroscopy Characterization and Biopharmacotherapy Potential

“…ese phenolics were 10 phenolic acids (quinic acid, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid, 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid, syringic acid, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, trans-ferulic acid, and trans-cinnamic acid); 5 flavones (apigenin, luteolin, cirsiliol, cirsilineol, and acacetin); 2 flavonols (quercetin and kaempferol); 2 flavan-3-ols ((+)-catechin and epicatechin); 2 flavonol glycosides (rutin and quercitrin); 2 flavone glycosides (apigenin-7-Oglucoside and naringin); and 1 flavanone (naringenin). For derivative fractions of MeOH crude extract, 19 [100] reported that ten phenolic compounds, five isoflavones, and five flavones were characterized and performed by applying LC-DAD-ESI/MSn to three different extracts obtained from infusion, decoction, and maceration in hydroethanolic mixtures of Algerian E. alata.…”

“…It is estimated that over 200,000 primary and secondary metabolites may be present in the plant kingdom [11][12][13][14][15]. Medicinal plant is the product of long-term medical practice worldwide, with the advantages of outstanding curative properties and less side effects [16][17][18][19][20][21]. Containing many natural products and their derivatives of therapeutic value, medicinal plants are considerate as main source of remedies able to protect human body against diseases.…”

Evaluation of the Antihyperglycemic Activity of Juglans Mollis and Hamelia Patens Through in Vitro and in Vivo Methods

“…On the other hand, various authors have demonstrated that H. patens has antidiabetic and hypoglycemic activity. Andrade-Cetto et al 24 . postulated that the hypoglycemic activity of this plant is due to the inhibition of glucosidase; however, we found that none of the extracts inhibited glucosidase at concentrations below 330 µg/mL, which was the maximum concentration evaluated.…”