AN ANCIENT herbal remedy has finally yielded its secrets, say scientists in
Japan.
A team led by Masayuki Yoshikawa of Kyoto Pharmaceutical University has found
the active ingredient of Salacia reticulata, a plant used in India to
treat diabetes for around 3000 years.
The team discovered that the plant contains a compound that lowers blood
sugar in rats. It does this by blocking alpha-glucosidase, an enzyme which
digests sucrose and maltose in the intestine (Tetrahedron Letters, vol
38, p 8367).
The chemical, dubbed salacinol, is a sugar derivative containing sulphur. It
has a unique double-ringed structure, and the researchers say this may hold the
key to the success of the treatment.
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