Potential use of Kyethingha-thee (Momordica charantia L. fruit) in the treatment of maturity onset diabetes mellitus

The hypoglycemic efficacy of Kyethingha-thee dired powder capsule was conducted on five uncomplicated type II non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus patients, who were admitted to the No. 2 Military Hospital, Yangon. Preliminary study revealed that it has hypoglycaemic effect with minimum effective dose of 3 grams for each patient and the time of maximum effect was 4 to 6 hours respectively. Kyethingha-thee was found to be 79.94 percent as effective as tolbutamide and 154.53 percent as effective as TMF 32. So far no adverse side effects were observed in any of these patients.

Clinical trial to compare the analgesic efficacy of selected Traditional Medicine Formulations (TMF-06,-24,-25) on experimentally induced pain in human subjects

Forty clinically healthy volunteers participated in the study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of three Traditional Medicine Formulations (TMF-06, TMF-24 and TMF-25) on experimentally-induced cold compressor stimulation pain. The rationale underlying the study is that these formulations have beenproduced locally and used extensively as standard analgesics for pain relief at the Traditional Medicine Hospitals and dispensaries as well as through self-medication over-the-counter-durgs by the local community for many years but has yet received little investigative attention regarding efficacy and sefety. The study was a placebo controlled double-blind, complete cross-over single dose design using aspirin (acetyl salicylate) as positive standard and was evaluated on three basic pain response parameters namely, pain threshold, pain tolerance and pain sensitivity range. All three formulations showed a significant analgesic efficacy (p < 0.01) when compared to placebo (TMF-25 > TMF-24 > TMF-60). No, adverse effects were noted even when given at maximum recomended dose. It was concluded dose. It was concluded that the three TMFs can be used as an alternative to aspirin for the symptomatic relief of mild to moderate pain.

Clinical trial to determine the antidiarrhoeal potential of traditional medicine formulations TMFs-16, TMF-35a and TMF-43

Clinical trial to determine the therapeutic efficacy of three Traditional Medicine Formulations, claimed to have antidiarrhoeal action, were studied on 150 acute diarrhoeal patients admitted to the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Yangon. TMF-16 was found to possess a good antidiarrhoeal action with the antidiarrhoeal index (ADI) of 28.71 percent, which is approximately equal to that of the standard drug, loparamide which had the ADI of 27.94 percent. TMF-35a also possess a mild to moderate antidiarrhoeal action (ADI = 21.5 percent), but TMF-43 showed little or no antidiarrhoeal action (ADI = 9.64 percent). The cllinical significance of the study is that both TMF-16 and loparamide were found to reduce the stool output as well as the amount of fluid replacement required. TMF-16 is well tolerated, available locally and cheaply, and thus, may prove beneficial in the symptomatic relief of non-specific acute diarrhoea.

Clinical trial of antidiabetic traditional medicine formulation (TMF) No. 32

Clinical trial to determine the therapeutic efficacy of a traditional antidiabetic drug, TMF-32, was carried out on six Type II NIDDM patients who were admitted to the Traditional Medicine Hospital, Yangon. All patients, 3 males and 3 females, had a fasting blood glucose level of more than 150 mg percent (205.2 + 35.6) and a 2 hour post-prandial blood glucose level of more than 200 mg percent (323.0 + 62.09) and were clinically free from complications of diabetes. The study was a complete cross-over design, using tolbutamide as a control and was conducted under strict diabetic diet wupplying approximately 2500 kcals per day. Hypoglycaemic efficacy calculated from oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) curves indicated that TMF-32, at doses of 2G and 3G, significantly reduces the blood glucose levels in these patients (p < 0.01 in both doses). The maximum hypoglycaemic effect was seen at approximately 2 hours after dosing and the duration of action lasted only up to 6 hours. Construction of log. dose-response curves showed TMF-32 of having a hypoglycaemic potency of 73 percent of tolbutamide but frequent side effects and cost of drug give rise to contradicting questions on whether it may be useful as a standard traditional antidiabetic drug.

Alternative drug regimes for chloroquine resistant falciparum malaria

A total of 67 cases of chloroquine resistant P. falciparum malaria were treated in the medical ward No. (5) of the D.S.G.H. with alternative drug regimens comprising.