Short description:

There has been a steady scientific interest in the role of plants in treating diabetes mellitus. This volume presents an ethnopharmacological perspective of the role of plants in the treatment of diabetes and associated complications. The text provides guidance on methodology for those interested in carrying out research, and highlights those plants and phytochemical groups that are of particular significance or potential in this context. Chapters provide an overview of the features and prevalence of diabetes mellitus, discuss approaches to treatment, give a database summary and detailed discussions of the scientific studies carried out on anti-diabetic plants, and offer insight into the discovery of new anti-diabetic agents.

Long description:

The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus world-wide is an issue of major socio-economic concern. Scientific interest in plant-derived medicine is steadily rising, yet there is often a wide disparity in the caliber of information available. A detailed compilation of scientific information from across the globe, Traditional Medicines for Modern Times: Antidiabetic Plants highlights the potential role of dietary and medicinal plant materials in the prevention, treatment, and control of diabetes and its complications. The book not only describes plants traditionally used to treat diabetes, but evaluates the scientific studies on these plants and describes in vitro, in vivo, and clinical methods for their investigation. It examines the theory that changes in dietary patterns from traditional plant foodstuffs containing beneficial components, to richer, more processed "junk" food is responsible for the increased prevalence of diabetes worldwide.

The book begins with an introduction to the disease diabetes mellitus written by a consultant physician and an up-to-date, detailed summary table and discussion of scientifically screened antidiabetic plants compiled by authors from the Jodrell Laboratories, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. The next chapters provide an outline of clinical, in vivo, and in vitro methods for assessing antidiabetic activity of plant materials, followed by descriptions of traditional plant remedies used in Asia, the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Australia written by an international group of authors active in antidiabetic plant research. The final chapters emphasize the role of particular phytochemical groups in the treatment or prevention of diabetes. By documenting both traditional and scientifically derived knowledge, Traditional Medicines for Modern Times: Antidiabetic Plants brings us closer to the translation of traditional knowledge into new methods for treatment of this important disease.

"The 16 chapters present a comprehensive overview for researchers from a multidisciplinary background interested in diabetes and plants. The merits of this book are that it appeals to a wide audience, varying from ethnobotanists, pharmacologists, phytochemists, and clinical practitioners. This interdisciplinary orientation makes the book a good state-of-the-art contribution on your shelf." 
?Ina Vandebroek, The New York Botanical Garden in Economic Botany, Vol. 61, No. 1, 2007

Table of Contents:

Introduction to Diabetes Mellitus. Plants Used in the Treatment of Diabetes. Preclinical and Clinical Methods for Evaluating Antidiabetic Activity of Plants. In Vitro Models for Assessing Antidiabetic Activity. Ayurvedic, Siddha, and Tribal Medicine. Traditional Chinese and Kampo Medicines. Treating Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus from a Western Herbalist's Perspective. Native American Medicine. Antidiabetic plants in Mexican and Central American Medicine. Antidiabetic Plants in the Caribbean. Management of Diabetes in African Traditional Medicine. Antidiabetic Plants of North Africa and the Middle East. Australian and New Zealand Plants with Antidiabetic Properties. Plant Polysaccharides in the Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus. Saponins. Flavonoids, Xanthones, and Other Antioxidant Polyphenols. Index.