India
Research Article
Evaluation of Anti-Diabetic Property of Extracts of Different Plant Parts of Salacia chinensis Linn.
Author(s): Ankur Patwardhan, Makarand Pimputkar and Radhika JoshiAnkur Patwardhan, Makarand Pimputkar and Radhika Joshi
Plants from the Western Ghats Mountains (a global biodiversity hot-spot) in western India are increasingly gaining importance for their newfound disease curative properties. One such example is an extract of the plant, Salacia chinensis Linn, the compound Salacinol which (along with related compounds) is increasingly being used in the treatment of diabetes. Of late, demand for this extract has increased at a rapid pace, leading to widespread overharvesting of Salacia roots (the plant part predominantly used for extraction) and consequent population decline by over 50%. Such overexploitation in a global biodiversity hotspot threatens the ecological sustainability of this fragile ecosystem and global health care, as well as local livelihoods. One strategy to relieve the harvest pressure on wild population while attempting to cater to the ever increasing demand of raw material by the pha.. Read More»
DOI:
10.4172/2376-0214.1000107