Mohammad Iqbal Sultani
Diabetes is one of the ailments that traditional healers had claimed cure capabilities by the use of some medicinal plants. Sweet potato (Ipomea batatas) farm gogudh in Kashmiri is one of such plants in which much claims had been made. However, this claim has not previously been scientifically validated and experimentally assessed. In this investigation, alcoholic extract of sweet potato was investigated for its oral antidiabetic activity. This attempt was supported by a phytochemical study of the extract which revealed the presence of glucosides, glucosinolates, and alkaloids. Results obtained from the investigation showed alcoholic extract of sweet potato to exhibit potent oral anti-diabetic property. The activity was comparatively higher than that of diabenese – standard drug in use presently in clinics for treating diabetes. The mechanism of action and the active principle of that extract were discussed.
The extract of sweet potato tuber has been reported to serve different uses in folklore medicine. Walt and Breyer Brandjwik ( 1962) reported that extract of the tuber was used as an anti-diabetic agent in the Philippines. Our findings further confirmed this assertion. In this investigation ethanol extract of sweet potato (Ipomea batatas) produced a consistent and smooth effect of lowering the blood glucose level in the experimental animal. Phytochemical analysis of EESP ( Ethanol extract of sweet potato) in the present study shows that it contains among other things, myrosinase, Glucosinolate and isothiocyanates. This observation lent support to previous reports of Wagner et. al., (1965), Gimelin et. al., (1970), Chung. Tay (1973) and Ettlinges (1968).
The extract of sweet potato could exhibit considerable oral anti-diabetic activity as claimed by traditional medicine healers.
The isothiocyanates, which might be present in sweet potato, might have caused inhibitory action in the body system of the diabetic animals, thus inhibiting the breakdown of special type of glucose molecules and hence the level of blood glucose in the blood will be reduced. This is a hypothesis, to which further studies may be directed. Also, this mechanism of action would be valid only when is othiocyanates, which has been shown to be present in these extracts of sweet potato, are shown to be responsible for the anti-diabetic activity. Work is continuing in our laboratory on these outstanding aspects of the investigation. In conclusion, this study shows that the extract of sweet potato could exhibit considerable oral anti-diabetic activity as claimed by traditional medicine healers. Also, the oral anti-diabetic activity of this extract was comparatively higher than that of Diabenese – a drug of choice, orally to treat diabetics in clinics.
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