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. 2013 Jun 24:9:43.
doi: 10.1186/1746-4269-9-43.

Traditional medicinal plants used for the treatment of diabetes in rural and urban areas of Dhaka, Bangladesh--an ethnobotanical survey

Soeren Ocvirk  1 , Martin Kistler, Shusmita Khan, Shamim Hayder Talukder, Hans Hauner
Affiliations

Traditional medicinal plants used for the treatment of diabetes in rural and urban areas of Dhaka, Bangladesh--an ethnobotanical survey

Soeren Ocvirk et al. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. .

Abstract

Background: The usage of medicinal plants is traditionally rooted in Bangladesh and still an essential part of public healthcare. Recently, a dramatically increasing prevalence brought diabetes mellitus and its therapy to the focus of public health interests in Bangladesh. We conducted an ethnobotanical survey to identify the traditional medicinal plants being used to treat diabetes in Bangladesh and to critically assess their anti-diabetic potentials with focus on evidence-based criteria.

Methods: In an ethnobotanical survey in defined rural and urban areas 63 randomly chosen individuals (health professionals, diabetic patients), identified to use traditional medicinal plants to treat diabetes, were interviewed in a structured manner about their administration or use of plants for treating diabetes.

Results: In total 37 medicinal plants belonging to 25 families were reported as being used for the treatment of diabetes in Bangladesh. The most frequently mentioned plants were Coccinia indica, Azadirachta indica, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Syzygium cumini, Terminalia chebula, Ficus racemosa, Momordica charantia, Swietenia mahagoni.

Conclusion: Traditional medicinal plants are commonly used in Bangladesh to treat diabetes. The available data regarding the anti-diabetic activity of the detected plants is not sufficient to adequately evaluate or recommend their use. Clinical intervention studies are required to provide evidence for a safe and effective use of the identified plants in the treatment of diabetes.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Parts used for the treatment of diabetes from all plants (A) and the most frequently mentioned plants (B). Multiple answers possible, some informants did not mention any specific plant parts.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Regional distribution of the most frequently mentioned plants.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Citation of most frequently mentioned plants related to informant groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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