engleski

Traditional herbal products used for the management of diabetes in Croatia: linking traditional use with pharmacological activity

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease and one of the major health concerns in the modern world. Having in mind the growing prevalence of diabetes, as well as increasing popularity of traditional herbal medicine, the aim of this research was to collect the data on traditional herbal products used for the management of diabetes in Croatia. For this purpose 26 herbalists from 18 markets in 9 cities were interviewed. It was found that 25 plants were used as complementary therapy of diabetes, most often in form of herbal mixtures. Urtica dioica, sold either as leaf or root, was the most often employed plant, followed by Phaseolus vulgaris and Cichorium intybus. This work discusses the results of the studies reporting the antidiabetic properties of the used plants and their phytoconstituents, with special emphasis on -glucosidase-inhibitory activity. The findings largely support the widespread use of these plants as complementary therapy for diabetes.

alpha-glucosidase ; complementary therapy ; diabetes mellitus ; medicinal plants ; traditional medicine

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