Abstract

ROLE OF PHYTOMEDICINE IN DIABETES AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES

Anas Ali*, Anupam Kumar, Harshit Singh, Pramod Kumar Biswal, Firoj Alam, Sanjeev Kumar Jha

ABSTRACT

Medicinal plants and their components have been always used to treat diseases. During the last decade there has been increasing interest in adapting a holistic and combinatorial approach to the management of clinical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cancer, renal dysfunction and cardiovascular abnormalities. In addition, an alarming increase in the incidence of diabetes and its complications has threatened the economies of several nations, particularly developing countries. Driven by rapid urbanization, diet changes and increasing inpatient lifestyles, the rise in diabetes has increased accelerating in tandem with the global rise of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Both cardiovascular diseases and Diabetes share a broad spectrum of metabolic disorders, which are due to energy homeostasis and imbalanced metabolic control. It is well known that plants and natural foods are made up of thousands of phytochemicals. In addition, most of us are increasingly recognizing the importance of natural components in promoting health and preventing disease. The consistent goal has always been to take those bioactive components and formulations that promote/regulate well-being to the fore off the bench. Inflammation clearly appears to be the link in these diseases. Therefore, a focus on the selection of components that regulate Biological Response Modifiers may prove critical to the development of effective treatment modalities. With this in mind, in this chapter we intend to provide an insight into the relevance and requirements of traditional plant-based medicinal practice in two complex but related clinical conditions, namely diabetes and associated cardiovascular diseases. The limitations and challenges of working with these biologically active compounds despite their rich health benefits were also addressed.

Keywords: .