INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES,
ENGINEERING & PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES

Pradeep Mishra & Neetu Singh

AMITY UNIVERSITY, INDIA

Diabetes mellitus, a chronic endocrine disorder characterized by metabolic derangements of carbohydrate, fat and protein, develops over a period of time into nephropathy, neuropathy, retinopathy, cardiomyopathy etc (Arky, 1982). Though many synthetic hypoglycemic agents were synthesized for maintenance of type 2 diabetes in the recent past, the diabetes and the related complications continued to be major medical problem throughout the world. As the prevalence of diabetes mellitus is estimated to be more than 300 million by 2025 (Ojewoleet al., 2006), the WHO recommended the evaluation of traditional plant treatments for management of diabetes considering their effectiveness, non-toxicity and suitability for oral therapy (Patel & Srinivasan, 1997). It is relevant to India as several recent surveys documented increased ethnic susceptibility to diabetes in Indians (Ramaiya et al., 1991). Indian medicinal plants used in folklore medicine are very effective in the maintenace of diabetes (Nadkarni, 1976; Kirithikar&Basu, 1995).