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Introduction

“Accuracy and efficiency in homoeopathic therapeutics is only possible to those who have a clearly defined idea of the field in which the principle of similia is operative.”¹ For a successful practice one has to discriminate in each single case whether the principle of similia is operative or not. In cases of gross organic lesions and irreversible pathological changes, the role of homoeopathy is limited. The above statement of Stuart Close is very true with the condition diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes is the one which is primarily due to the permanent damage of beta cells of pancreas. Cure is not possible for this condition by any mode of treatment, but the blood glucose level can be controlled. Such circumstances, Stuart Close says, make it necessary for homoeopathic physician to use drugs in physiological doses.¹ Some of the homoeopathic medicines like Syzygium jambolanum, Cephalandra indica are known for their hypoglycemic activity in the form of mother tincture and low potencies. But some of the others are not much known to homoeopaths for their hypoglycemic effect, the efficacy of which is established scientifically. For this purpose a review is made of extracts of drugs used. To widen the scope some other drugs for symptoms of diabetes distinctively mentioned in homoeopathic literature have also been picked. The purpose of this article is to throw a light on such rare mother tinctures with their scientific facts and proofs along with the ones that are already in practice.

Rare mother tinctures with their scientific facts and proofs

Aegle folia improved digestion and reduced blood sugar and urea, serum cholesterol when administered in alloxanized rats as compared to control. Along with exhibiting hypoglycemic activity, this extract also prevented peak rise in blood sugar at 1 hour in oral glucose tolerance test.²

Allium cepa showed anti-hyperglycemic activity in diabetic rabbits. It is also known to have antioxidant and hypolipidaemic activity. Administration of a sulfur containing amino acid from Allium cepa, S-methyl cysteine sulphoxide (SMCS) (200 mg/kg for 45 days) to alloxan induced diabetic rats significantly controlled blood glucose as well as lipids in serum and tissues and normalized the activities of liver hexokinase, glucose 6-phosphatase and HMG Co A reductase. When diabetic patients were given single oral dose of 50 g of onion juice, it significantly controlled post-prandial glucose levels.³ It is not recommended for a longer use, since it may produce some proving symptoms of coryza, headache, etc.

Allium sativum contains allicin (a sulfur-containing compound), which is responsible for its pungent odour and its hypoglycemic activity. This effect is thought to be due to increased hepatic metabolism, increased insulin release from pancreatic beta cells and/or insulin sparing effect.⁴

Azadirachta indica has showed antihyperglycemic activity in streptozotocin treated rats. Apart from having anti-diabetic activity, this plant also has anti-bacterial, antimalarial, antifertility, hepatoprotective and antioxidant effects.⁵

Caesalpinia bonducella is used ethnically by the tribal people of India for controlling blood sugar. Homoeopathic tincture is made from the seeds. Both the aqueous and ethanolic extracts showed potent hypoglycemic activity in chronic type II diabetic models. These extracts also increased glycogenesis thereby increasing liver glycogen content. Two fractions BM 169 and BM 170 B could increase secretion of insulin from isolated islets. The aqueous and 50% ethanolic extracts of Caesalpinia bonducella seeds showed antihyperglycemic and hypolipidemic activities in streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats. The antihyperglycemic action of the seed extracts may be due to the blocking of glucose absorption. The drug has the potential to act as antidiabetic as well as antihyperlipidemic.^6,7

Syzygium jambolanum is well known in homoeopathy for its use in diabetes mellitus. In India decoction of kernels of Syzygium jambolanum is used as household remedy for diabetes. Antihyperglycemic effect of aqueous and alcoholic extract as well as lyophilized powder shows reduction in blood glucose level. This varies with different level of diabetes. In mild diabetes (plasma sugar >180 mg/dl) it shows 73.51% reduction, whereas in moderate (plasma sugar >280 mg/dl) and severe diabetes (plasma sugar >400 mg/dl) it is reduced to 55.62% and 17.72% respectively. The oral administration of the extract resulted in increase in serum insulin levels in diabetic rats. Insulin secretion was found to be stimulated on incubation of plant extract with isolated islets of Langerhans from normal as well as diabetic animals. These extracts also inhibited insulinase activity from liver and kidney. ⁸

Ocimum sanctum is known for its medicinal properties since ancient times. In a recent study it showed significant reduction in blood sugar level in both normal and alloxan induced diabetic rats. This plant also showed antiasthemitic, antistress, antibacterial,

antifungal, antiviral, antitumor, gastric antiulcer activity, antioxidant, antimutagenic and immunostimulant activities.⁹

Pterocarpus marsupium or Kino showed that the hypoglycemic activity of this extract is because of presence of tannates in the extract. Flavonoid fraction from Kino has been shown to cause pancreatic beta cell regranulation. Other constituents obtained from this plant also showed antihyperlipidemic activity. Epicatechin, its active principle, has been found to be insulinogenic, enhancing insulin release and conversion of proinsulin to insulin in vitro. Like insulin, it stimulates oxygen uptake in fat cells and tissue slices of various organs, increases glycogen content of rat diaphragm in a dose-dependent manner.¹⁰

Tinospora cordifolia has significantly reduced blood and urine glucose in alloxan diabetic rats when administered orally for 6 weeks. It also prevented a decrease in body weight. The drug is widely used in ayurvedic medicine for treating diabetes mellitus.¹¹

Frequently used other drugs in low potencies for diabetes mellitus

Acidum aceticum and Acidum carbolicum are also valuable diabetic remedies. Indication are passing of large quantities of pale urine, intense thirst, hot, dry skin and marked debility. All acid drugs have some effect on the diabetes, as mentioned by an experienced speaker in a seminar.

Acidum lacticum is indicated for gastro-hepatic variety of diabetes. Symptoms include copious urination, light yellow and saccharine urine, thirst, nausea, debility, voracious appetite, costive bowels, dry skin, dry tongue and gastralgia.

Acidum phosphoricum is given where the urine is increased. It is milky in color and containing much sugar. If the patient presents mental symptoms such as grief, anxiety, indifferent and apathetic, then this is the main drug of choice. Physical symptoms indicated for this remedy are great debility, bruised feeling in the muscles, loss of appetite and unquenchable thirst. It is mostly used in 6C potency.

Ceanothus is useful for the symptoms of constant urging to urinate, green frothy urine, containing bile and sugar, pain in the left upper abdomen due to splenitis, profuse menses, weakening leucorrhoea, pain in liver to back, dyspnoea and diabetes with anaemia when liver and spleen are at fault.

Chionanthus is helpful in cases with lack of secretion of insulin. Symptoms like great dryness of mouth, excessive thirst, great weakness and debility after little mental or physical excertion, constipation, acidic headache, liver and pancreatic diseases, coated white tongue and no appetite are indications.

Curare can be given in 3C and 6C. Indications are diabetes mellitus with trembling of legs, while walking, debility among aged persons, great thirst and mortor paralysis.

Helonias is given in mother tincture, 6X or 6CH. Indicated for diabetes mellitus with emaciation, and wasting of muscles, great thirst, melancholia, restlessness, feeling of weakness, lameness in the back, numbness of feet, excessive urination, drowsiness and heaviness of head. Better after little motion and when mind is engaged.

Insulinum: It is worthy to mention that long before the discovery of Insulin Dr.Pierre Jousset of Paris prepared a pancreatic juice on a glycerine basis which he administered to diabetic patients in doses of 10 or 20 drops a day in water and had results sufficiently good to consider pancreatic juice, orally administered, as a remedy of great value in diabetes. Dr. Cartier, his practical successor, praised it insisted on smaller doses given by mouth as larger doses and hypodermic injections of it had no effect in ordinary diabetes. Baker advises the homoeopathic strengths of Insulinum 3X to 30X and reports happy results there from.¹² It maintains the blood sugar at a normal level and the urine remains free of sugar. Over dosage causes weakness, fatigue, tremulous (shivering) trembling in the body-with profuse sweating.

Lithium carbonicum is usually given in 3X or 6X. It can be given twice daily during diabetes mellitus with acidosis-excessive acidity, nausea, hunger-pain or gnawing hunger, better by eating. It is also useful in renal acidosis with turbid dark scanty urine, acidic in nature, cystitis or pain in bladder, ureter and right kidney.

Pancreatinum is used in 3X to 6X. In cases of deficient secretion and affection of pancreas, it can be given for symptoms like diarrhoea containing undigested food particles, indigestion, pain in stomach or in upper abdomen after one hour of eating.

Uranium nitricum is mentioned for diabetes with dyspepsia by many authors. It is prescribed for polyuria, polydypsia, dryness of the mouth and skin. It lessens the sugar and quantity of the urine. Other indications include defective digestion, languor, debility and enormous appetite and thirst. Recommended potency is 4X trituration.

Vincetoxicum hirudinaria (Asclepias vincetoxicum) is useful where there is much thirst, profuse urination, arthritis, bleeding gums, insatiable hunger, impotency, emaciation with dropsical swelling of the joints.

References

1. Stuart Close, Scope of Homoeopathy, The Genius of Homoeopathy – Lectures and Essays on Homoeopathic Philosophy
2. Karunanayake, E.H., Welihinda, J., Sirimanne, S.R., and Sinnadorai, G.: Oral hypoglycemic activity of some medicinal plants of Sri Lanka. J. Ethnopharmacol., 11, 223–231, 1984.
3. Roman-Ramos, R., Flores-Saenz, J.L., and Alaricon-Aguilar, F.J.: Antihyperglycemic effect of some edible plants. J. Ethnopharmacol., 48, 25–32, 1995.
4. Sheela, C.G. and Augusti, K.T.: Antidiabetic effects of S-allyl cysteine sulphoxide isolated from garlic Allium sativum Linn. Indian J. Exp. Biol., 30, 523–526, 1992.
5. Chattopadhyay, R.R., Chattopadhyay, R.N., Nandy, A.K., Poddar, G., and Maitra, S.K.: The effect of fresh leaves of Azadiracta indica on glucose uptake and glycogen content in the isolated rat hemidiaphragm. Bull. Calcutta. Sch. Trop. Med., 35, 8–12, 1987.
6. Chakrabarti, S., Biswas, T.K., Rokeya, B., Ali, L., Mosihuzzaman, M., Nahar, N., Khan, A.K., and Mukherjee, B.: Advanced studies on the hypoglycemic effect of Caesalpinia bonducella F. in type 1 and 2 diabetes in Long Evans rats. J. Ethnopharmacol., 84, 41–46, 2003.
7. Sharma, S.R., Dwivedi, S.K., and Swarup, D.: Hypoglycemic, antihyperglycemic and hypolipidemic activities of Caesalpinia bonducella seeds in rats. J. Ethnopharmacol., 58, 39–44, 1997.
8. Acherekar, S., Kaklij, G.S, Pote, M.S., and Kelkar, S.M.: Hypoglycemic activity of Eugenia jambolana and ficus bengalensis: mechanism of action. In vivo, 5, 143–147, 1991.
9. Rai, V., Iyer, U., and Mani, U.V.: Effect of Tulasi (Ocimum sanctum) leaf powder supplementation on blood sugar levels, serum lipids and tissue lipid in diabetic rats. Plant Food For Human Nutrition, 50, 9–16, 1997.
10. Jahromi, M.A., Ray, A.B., and Chansouria, J.P.N.: Antihyperlipidemic effect of flavonoids from Pterocarpus marsupium. J. Nat. Prod., 56, 989–994, 1993.
11. Stanely, P., Prince, M., and Menon, V.P.: Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic action of alcohol extract of Tinospora cordifolia roots in chemical induced diabetes in rats Phytother. Res., 17, 410–413, 2003.
12. Homeopathic Treatment, Cure & Medicines, Diabetes. From http://www.hpathy.com/diseases/diabetes1-symptoms-treatment-cure.asp