Herbal cure for diabetes found?

Young researcher Esampalli Sucharita claims she has found a herbal cure for Type-II diabetes in the plant extract of Buddhabu-dama Kaya (Physalis minima). Incidentally, Ms Sucharita was the first winner of the Department of Science and Technology-funded Rs 11-lakh fellowship under Women Scientist Scheme in 2010.

While going through ethno-botanical literature, Ms Sucharita discovered that tribal communities in Mangapet, Eturuna-garam and Venkatpur mandals traditionally used the stems, leaves, roots and flowers of Physalis minima to cure diabetes.

Using this information, she carried out a three-and-a-half-years study on 64 lab rats, dividing them into eight groups with eight rats in each group.

All the lab rats were artificially induced with Type II diabetes, which is said to affect the maximum number of diabetics in the world.

During the study, seven groups of lab rats were administered different dosages of the plant extract at different intervals. Their reaction was closely monitored and compared with the eighth group of artificially induced diabetic lab rats. This group was administered dosage of Tolbutamide, an allopathic drug normally used for treating Type II diabetes.

“I have found that the combination of the Buddhabudama Kaya plant extracts in select proportion produces results on par with Tolbutamid,” said Ms Sucharita, who is planning to get a process patent on her work.

Though intensive human trials need to be taken up before allopathy drugs could enter the market, she pointed out that herbal drugs need not face the same rigorous tests as they are generally free from side effects.