sayed mohammad mohammadi

In Iran, a variety of medicinal plants are used, either alone or in combination, for the treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM). However, scientific and clinical studies are needed to confirm the safety and efficacy of these medicinal plants.

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of AKROPOL, a poly-herbal extract mixture used in Persian medicine, in the treatment of type 2 diabetic patients.

Eighty six male and female patients, aged 40-60 years, registered at the Diabetes Clinic Registry of the Baqiyatallah Hospital, in Tehran, Iran, randomly allocated to two groups of 43 each. The patients in AKROPOL group received one capsule (containing 500 mg of poly-herbal extract mixture: chicory, turmeric, nettle, fenugreek and whortleberry) and the patients in placebo group received one capsule (containing 500 mg toast powder) twice a day in addition to their routine anti-diabetic medications for 3 months. The primary outcome measures were HbA1C and FBG (fasting blood glucose) levels, while lipid levels, liver enzymes and renal function tests were secondary outcome measures.

Compared with the placebo group and baseline, the AKROPOL group showed significant reductions in FBG, HbA1C, total cholesterol, and LDL-C levels. No significant hepatic, renal, gastrointestinal, or other side effects were observed during the study.

The findings suggest that AKROPOL in addition to anti-diabetic and cholesterol-lowering effects, had no adverse effects in type 2 diabetic patients.

Several clinical studies have been undertaken to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of Silybum marianum (S. marianum) seed extract (silymarin) in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

We performed the present narrative review to evaluate the efficacy of silymarin supplement for treatment of T2DM and NAFLD.

Electronic databases PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Google and Google Scholar were surveyed for the English and non-English human clinical trial papers published concerning the effects of silymarin on T2DM and NAFLD from January 2010 to April 2018.

Sixteen articles regarding silymarin effects on T2DM and NAFLD in clinical studies have been included in this review. The anti-diabetic effect of silymarin was reported in four clinical trials in single formula and in one trial in combination with nettle and boswellia gum resin. The efficacy of silymarin or silybin has been reported in the treatment of NAFLD in eleven clinical trials as single formula or in combination with phosphatidylcholine, simvastatin and vitamin E.

Silymarin appears to be effective as an adjuvant with the standard therapy in the treatment of T2DM and NAFLD.