Contribution to the Study of Medicinal Plants Used in Traditional Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus in Western Algeria: Ethnopharmacological Survey; Pharmacotoxicological Analysis of Fig (Ficus Carica) and Colocynth (Citrullus Colocynthis) in Wistar Rats.
January 2013
in “
Dépôt Institutionnel de lUniversité de Tlemcen
”
TLDR Figs and coloquinte can affect blood sugar, but coloquinte can be toxic.
An ethnopharmacological survey of 470 diabetic subjects in Western Algeria identified 60 medicinal plants used for diabetes treatment, with Ficus carica (figs) and Citrullus colocynthis (coloquinte) selected for further study. Phytochemical analysis of figs revealed various compounds, including saponins and sugars, while coloquinte seeds contained alkaloids and glycosides. In Wistar rats, fig extracts initially increased blood glucose levels, which normalized within 15 days. Coloquinte, known for its toxicity, showed antihyperglycemic effects, reducing hyperglycemia by 42% and 32% with alkaloids and glycosides, respectively, lasting up to 2 weeks. However, high doses of coloquinte glycosides caused severe hypoglycemia.