Diabetes: Medicinal plants, a complementary avenue to be explored with caution

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Extract from the article: « Medicinal Plants and Diabetes Treatment » was the topic of a presentation delivered on Wednesday, August 5, by Dr. Motto Aku Enam, a specialist and PhD holder in physiology-pharmacology, as part of the third edition of Diabetes and Its Complication

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« Medicinal Plants and Diabetes Treatment » was the topic of a presentation delivered on Wednesday, August 5, by Dr. Motto Aku Enam, a specialist and PhD holder in physiology-pharmacology, as part of the third edition of Diabetes and Its Complications Education Month. Held virtually via the Zoom platform, the session of the Diabetes School was an initiative of the Noncommunicable Diseases Surveillance Division (DivSMNT) of the Ministry of Health, in partnership with the JISA Togo and Les Amis de la Joie associations.

The session highlighted that medicinal plants may represent a complementary avenue in diabetes management, provided that their use is supported by scientific evidence and carried out under the guidance of healthcare professionals.

Promising therapeutic potential

Physiology-pharmacology specialist Dr. Motto Aku Enam explained that diabetes is a major public health concern, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. While conventional treatments, including insulin and oral antidiabetic drugs, remain essential, difficulties related to their accessibility, cost and potential side effects lead many people to seek complementary solutions through traditional medicine.

Dr. Motto Aku Enam noted that medicinal plants are attracting growing interest in research because of their richness in bioactive compounds. Several plant species have demonstrated potentially beneficial effects on blood glucose regulation, improved insulin sensitivity and reduced oxidative stress.

In Togo, research conducted by the Pathophysiology, Bioactive Substances and Safety Research Unit of the University of Lomé is contributing to a better understanding of the therapeutic potential of local plants. The research particularly seeks to generate scientific data to assess their efficacy and safety.

Use must remain cautious

According to Dr. Motto, interest in medicinal plants should not lead people to discontinue treatments prescribed by healthcare professionals. Their use should remain complementary, based on scientific evidence and medically supervised.

The specialist also stressed the need for better regulation of traditional preparations, particularly with regard to dosage, quality and safety. Some plant-based substances may pose toxicity risks or interact with conventional medicines used to treat diabetes.

Towards safe plant-based products

Ongoing research is aimed in particular at standardizing plant extracts, conducting rigorous clinical trials and identifying new molecules with therapeutic potential.

The specialist said these efforts should help promote the value of local plant resources and contribute to the development of effective, safe and quality plant-based products. They could thus strengthen diabetes prevention and management strategies while promoting a better scientific understanding of traditional pharmacopoeia.

William O.