Editorial Efficacy and Safety of Medicinal Plants Used in the ...downloads.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2014/793035.pdf · FemiJ.Olorunniji, 5 andMohamedEddouks 6 Phytomedicine, Toxicology

EditorialEfficacy and Safety of Medicinal Plants Used in the Managementof Diabetes Mellitus

Musa T. Yakubu,1 Taofik O. Sunmonu,2 Francis B. Lewu,3 Anafi O. T. Ashafa,4

Femi J. Olorunniji,5 and Mohamed Eddouks6

1 Phytomedicine, Toxicology and Reproductive Biochemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry,University of Ilorin, Ilorin 240003, Nigeria

2 Phytomedicine, Environmental Toxicology and Plant Biochemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences,Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin 240001, Nigeria

3 Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Wellington Campus,Wellington, Western Cape 7655, South Africa

4Department of Plant Sciences, University of the Free State, Qwaqwa Campus, Phuthaditjhaba 9866, South Africa5 Institute of Molecular, Cell, and System Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary, and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow,Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK

6Faculty of Sciences and Techniques Errachidia, Moulay Ismail University, 52000 Errachidia, Morocco

Correspondence should be addressed to Musa T. Yakubu; [email protected]

Received 5 February 2014; Accepted 5 February 2014; Published 3 April 2014

Copyright © 2014 Musa T. Yakubu et al.This is an open access article distributed under theCreative CommonsAttribution License,which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

This special issue edited by a team of five renowned scholarsled by an Associate Professor of Biochemistry, M. T. Yakubu,Ph.D. (Lead Guest Editor), and other Guest Editors thatincluded Professor T. O. Sunmonu, Dr. F. B. Lewu, Dr. A. O.T. Ashafa, Dr. Femi J. Olorunniji, and Professor MohammedEddouks features 15 original research papers covering variousaspects of diabetes mellitus.

R.M. P. Gutierrez et al. in the paper entitled “Ameliorativeeffect of hexane extract of Phalaris canariensis on high fatdiet-induced obese and streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice”reported the antiobesity effect of a hexane extract of Phalariscanariensis seed in high-fat diet and streptozotocin-induceddiabetic mice. M. T. Sultan et al. in the paper entitled“Nigella sativa fixed and essential oil supplementation modu-lates hyperglycemia and allied complications in streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus” described the modulatory effectsof Nigella sativa fixed and essential oil supplementation onhyperglycemia and allied complications in streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus. In a related study, M. I. Kazeemet al. in the paper entitled “Protective effect of free and boundpolyphenol extracts from ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) onthe hepatic antioxidant and some carbohydrate metabolizing

enzymes of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats” evaluatedthe protective effect of free and bound polyphenol extractsfrom ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) on the hepaticantioxidant and some carbohydrate metabolizing enzymesof streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. P.-G. Cheng et al. inthe paper entitled “Polysaccharides-rich extract of Ganodermalucidum (M.A. Curtis:Fr.) P. Karst accelerates wound healingin streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats” evaluated the woundhealing activity of the hot aqueous extract of Ganodermalucidum in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The workreported by da A. A. Rocha et al. in the paper entitled “Lectinfrom Crataeva tapia bark improves tissue damages and plasmahyperglycemia in alloxan-induced diabetic mice” revealedthat lectin extracted from Crataeva tapia bark resulted inimprovement of tissue damage and plasma hyperglycemia inalloxan-induced diabetic mice.

J. Gu et al. in the paper entitled “A drug-target network-based approach to evaluate the efficacy of medicinal plantsfor type II diabetes mellitus” used drug-target network-basedapproach to evaluate the efficacy of medicinal plants fortype II diabetes mellitus. The study reported by M. M.Zainudin et al. in the paper entitled “Does oral ingestion of

Hindawi Publishing CorporationEvidence-Based Complementary and Alternative MedicineVolume 2014, Article ID 793035, 2 pageshttp://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/793035

2 Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Piper sarmentosum cause toxicity in experimental animals?”investigated the potential toxicity of oral administration ofan antidiabetic plant, Piper sarmentosum, in experimentalanimals. P. V. Rao et al. in the paper entitled “Rhinacanthusnasutus improves the levels of liver carbohydrate, protein, glyco-gen, and liver markers in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats”showed that treatment of streptozotocin-induced diabeticrats with Rhinacanthus nasutus resulted in improvement inthe levels of liver carbohydrate, protein, glycogen, and otherhepatic markers. Y. Xiao et al. in the paper entitled “The effectof Chinese herbal medicine on albuminuria levels in patientswith diabetic nephropathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis” presented a systematic review and meta-analysis ofthe effect of Chinese herbal medicine on albuminuria levelsin patients with diabetic nephropathy. J.Wu et al. in the paperentitled “Renal protective role of Xiexin decoctionwithmultipleactive ingredients involves inhibition of inflammation throughdownregulation of the nuclear factor-kB pathway in diabeticrats” presented evidence to suggest that the inhibition ofinflammation through downregulation of the nuclear factor-k𝛽 pathway in diabetic rats is themechanism bywhichXiexindecoction with multiple active ingredients exhibits its renalprotective role. The paper by L. Zhou et al. in the paperentitled “Hu-Lu-Ba-Wan attenuates diabetic nephropathy intype 2 diabetic rats through PKC-𝛼/NADPH oxidase signalingpathway” reported the attenuation of diabetic nephropathyin type 2 diabetic rats through PKC-𝛼/NADPH oxidasesignaling pathway by Hu-Lu-Ba-Wan. The evaluation ofantidiabetic activity and associated toxicity of Artemisia afraaqueous extract inWistar rats was reported byT.O. SunmonuandA. J. Afolayan in the paper entitled “Evaluation of antidia-betic activity and associated toxicity of Artemisia afra aqueousextract in Wistar rats.” N. A. Ishak et al. in the paper entitled“Antidiabetic and hypolipidemic activities of Curculigo latifoliafruit: root extract in high fat fed diet and low dose STZ induceddiabetic rats” evaluated the antidiabetic and hypolipidemicactivities of Curculigo latifolia fruit: root extract in high-fat fed diet and low dose STZ-induced diabetic rats. Theevaluation of the hypoglycemic properties of Anacardiumhumile aqueous extract was reported byM. A. Urzêda et al. inthe paper entitled “Evaluation of the hypoglycemic propertiesof Anacardium humile aqueous extract.” Finally, the decreaseof plasma glucose by Hibiscus taiwanensis in type-1-likediabetic rats was the focus of the study reported by L.-Y.Wanget al. in the paper entitled “Decrease of plasma glucose byHibiscus taiwanensis in type-1-like diabetic rats.”

The variety of papers on diabetes featured in this specialissue highlights the keen awareness of the biomedical com-munity of the potential for exploiting medicinal plants intackling this debilitating condition. Of particular interest isthe large number of contributions from scientists working indeveloping countries. This level of interest should be encour-aged. The gradual improvement in the level of prosperity indeveloping economies is being accompanied by a significantincrease in reported cases of obesity, diabetes, and othermetabolic disorders. It is appropriate that scientists andpolicymakers in these lands devote more resources to exploringnewer ways of dealing with these conditions. It is hopedthat the encouraging findings reported in this special issue

will stimulate further interest in expanding and coordinatingefforts on medicinal plants that have clinical potential in themanagement of diabetes.

Acknowledgments

The editorial team would like to thank all the authors whohave participated in this issue and the expertise contributionsof the reviewers.

Musa T. YakubuTaofik O. Sunmonu

Francis B. LewuAnafi O. T. AshafaFemi J. Olorunniji

Mohamed Eddouks

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Editorial Efficacy and Safety of Medicinal Plants Used in the ...downloads.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2014/793035.pdf · FemiJ.Olorunniji, 5 andMohamedEddouks 6 Phytomedicine, Toxicology