Two anti diabetic compounds were isolated from banyan tree (Ficus bengalensis) bark.  They are active at a much smaller dose of 10-25 mg/kg body weight (b.w.) in contrast to 100 mg/kg b.w. required for other glycosides/flavonoids of banyan bark isolated earlier by others.  They were tested in diabetic rabbits.  They are useful not only in mild diabetes but also severe diabetes in which pancreas is almost completely destroyed.  Other glycosides and flavonoids isolated from banyan bark are not useful in severe diabetes.  These two drugs have the advantage that they need not be taken every day.  They are effective even when given intermittently.  The beneficial effects continue for 10 days after stopping effective treatment. They are different from the glycosides and flavonoids isolated by others earlier.  They did not produce any toxic effects during the period of treatment in the rabbits.  Histopathological studies revealed that some of the abnormalities seen in the pancreas of untreated rabbits are corrected.  Further the mechanism of action seems to be both by increasing serum insulin levels as well as by directly acting on liver and muscle enzymes involved in glucose metabolism i.e. pancreatic and extra pancreatic.

One antidiabetic compound is isolated from fenugreek (methi) seeds (Trigonella foenumgraecum).  This compound is highly potent and is active at a much lower dose of 25-50 mg/kg b.w. in diabetic rabbits while other drugs are required to be given at relatively higher doses e.g. 200 mg/kg b.w. for tolbutamide.  It needs not be taken continuously.  After the treatment, the beneficial effects persist for atleast 10 days.  When the blood glucose levels increase, treatment can be resumed again.  This is in contrast to the present situation where the diabetic drugs are to be taken every day, quite often more than once a day continuously throughout life.  The compound has pancreatic (blood insulin levels increased) and extra pancreatic effect (acts directly on enzymes of glucose metabolism in liver and muscle).  Abnormalities seen in the serum and tissue lipids of diabetic rabbits are corrected after treatment.

Other advantages of this antidiabetic compound from fenugreek seeds are the following:

The blood glucose lowering compound is in a highly purified state.  According to ultraviolet and infrared spectral data, the purified compound is new and different from nucotinic acid and trigonelline isolated by earlier workers from fenugreek seeds and reported to be useful in mild but not severe diabetes:  This compound lowers blood cholesterol and other unfavourable lipids (hypocholesterolemic and hypolipidemic effects) in rabbits in which the cholesterol and others lipids were elevated in blood by dietary feeding of cholesterol.  It did not produce any toxic effects during the period of treatment.  Histopathological studies indicated that it corrected the abnormalities in pancreas and kidneys seen in untreated diabetic rabbits.

From garlic (Allium sativum a compound was isolated which lowers cholesterol in dietary cholesterol induced hypercholesterolemia in rabbits.  It is active at a very low dose of 25 mg/kg b.w.  Other garlic compounds are to be given at much higher doses.  It corrects other abnormalities in serum lipids (Triglycerides, HDL, LDL and VLDL cholesterol.

Technology Status:

The technology was developed at laboratory scale and require upscaling work. The result of the histopathological studies on rabbits appeared to be normal.  There were no toxic effects during the period of treatment.

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