Middle East Medicinal Plants in the Treatment of Diabetes: A Review.

Diabetes is a global health problem, and the number of diabetic patients is in continuous rise. Conventional antidiabetic therapies are associated with high costs and limited efficiency. The use of traditional medicine and plant extracts to treat diabetes is gaining high popularity in many countries. Countries in the Middle East region have a long history of using herbal medicine to treat different diseases, including diabetes. In this review, we compiled and summarized all the in vivo and in vitro studies conducted for plants with potential antidiabetic activity in the Middle East region. Plants of the Asteraceae and Lamiaceae families are the most investigated. It is hoped that this review will contribute scientifically to evidence the ethnobotanical use of medicinal plants as antidiabetic agents. Work has to be done to define tagetes, mechanism of action and the compound responsible for activity. In addition, safety and pharmacokinetic parameters should be investigated.

Complementary and alternative medicine use for weight management among females in Jordan: a community-based survey.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between obesity and various chronic diseases is well documented. In Jordan, the prevalence of overweight (30.0%) and obesity (38.8%) among females is on the rise, encouraging many adults to rely on alternative health care methods to manage their weight. AIMS: We explored the status of complementary and alternative medicine use for weight management among adult females in Jordan and the possible relationship between complementary and alternative medicine use and body mass index. METHODS: An interviewer-administered, structured questionnaire was used to collect data on the use and safety of complementary and alternative medicine for weight management from 858 women in 2015. Responses were coded and analysed using SPSS, version 20. RESULTS: Around 40% of the respondents reported using some form of complementary and alternative medicine for weight management. Commercial dietary supplements (31.2%), herbal remedies (26.7%) and folk remedies (18.0%) were commonly used. Green tea and fibre tablets were the most widely used herbal supplements. Logistic regression analysis indicated that overweight participants are more frequent complementary and alternative medicine users compared to obese. Relatives and friends were the main sources of information about complementary and alternative medicine. Only 31.9% of women believed that complementary and alternative medicine modalities were safe; around half believed they were not safe during pregnancy (52.5%) and lactation (48.0%). Only 49.7% were aware of side-effects and 41.5% of drug interactions. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that complementary and alternative medicine is often used for weight management. Awareness of the safe use of complementary and alternative medicine with other medications and during pregnancy and lactation should be addressed.