Baishakhi Dey, Analava Mitra, School of Medical Science and Technology, IIT Kharaghpur 721302, India.
World J Diabetes. 2013 Oct 15;4(5):170-6. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v4.i5.170.
Constant escalations in the number of diabetics world-wide and the failure of conventional therapy to restore normoglycemia without adverse effects, in spite of tremendous strides in modern medicine, calls for naturopathy and alternative medicine. Because diabetes is multi-factorial and has secondary complications, prevention of hyperglycemia is the central dogma for its management. To date, no oral hypoglycemic exists which can achieve tight glycemic control without side effects. Dietary adjuncts, lifestyle interventions and a resurgence of interest in phyto-therapy have consequently gained ground. Natural hypoglycemics have attracted attention due to ease of incorporation in everyday diet, affordability, less adverse effects, and long term safety. Ethno botanical literature reports more than 800 anti-diabetic plants species. Eucalyptus is well represented in the Aboriginal Pharmacopoeias for its various pharmacological activities. Its hot aqueous decoction has been used as a hypoglycemic in various regions of world. This editorial attempts to summarize the data on the hypoglycemic potential of the different eucalyptus species, highlight the value of its natural biomolecules for the prophylaxis and treatment of type 2 diabetes, describe their mechanistic actions, shed light on the posology and safety aspects of eucalyptus and assess its applicability as a reinforcement to currently used therapy.
全球糖尿病患者数量不断增加，尽管现代医学取得了巨大进步，但常规疗法仍无法在没有不良反应的情况下恢复血糖正常水平，这就需要顺势疗法和替代医学。由于糖尿病是多因素的，并伴有继发性并发症，因此预防高血糖是其治疗的核心原则。迄今为止，还没有一种口服降糖药可以在没有副作用的情况下实现严格的血糖控制。因此，饮食辅助、生活方式干预以及对植物疗法的兴趣重新兴起。天然降血糖药因其易于纳入日常饮食、价格实惠、副作用少和长期安全性而受到关注。民族植物学文献报告了超过 800 种具有降血糖作用的植物物种。桉树因其各种药理学活性而在土著药典中得到广泛应用。其热水浸液已在世界不同地区被用作降血糖药。本社论试图总结不同桉树物种降血糖潜力的数据，强调其天然生物分子在预防和治疗 2 型糖尿病方面的价值，描述其作用机制，阐明桉树的剂量和安全性方面，并评估其作为当前使用的治疗方法的补充的适用性。
