GENERAL INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common non communicable
diseases, and its epidemic proportion has placed it at the forefront of public
health challenges currently facing the world (Craig et al.,
2009). The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus, the emergence
of diabetes complications as a cause of early morbidity and mortality, and the
enormous and mounting burden on health care systems make diabetes a priority
health concern (Craig et al., 2009).
The world prevalence of diabetes among adults (aged 20-79
years) was estimated to rise from 6.4%, affecting 285 million adults, in 2010,
to 7.7%, affecting 439 million adults by 2030. Between 2010 and 2030, there was
to be a 69% increase in numbers of adults with diabetes in developing countries
and 20% increase in developed countries (Shaw et al.,
2010). In Cameroon, recent estimations situate the prevalence rate at
4.3%, with an increased prevision of 4.7 % by the year 2025 (Shaw
et al., 2010)
This epidemic has been attributed to high fat and high sugar
intakes in modern diets, correlating with the increased use of fructose as a
sweetener including lack of physical activity and sedentary life style
(Jatin et al., 2011). Diabetes can be managed by
exercise and diet which in case of failure, pharmaceutical drugs such as
insulin, insulin secretagogues, insulin sensitizers and á-glucosidase
can be use. These drugs are either too expensive or have undesirable sides
effects or contraindications. The search for more effective and safer
hypoglycemic agents therefore has continued to be an area of research of
interest (Krishna et al., 2004). Alternative
strategies to the current modern pharmacotherapy of diabetes mellitus are
urgently needed, because of the inability of existing modern therapies to
control all the pathological aspects of the disorder, as well as the enormous
cost and poor availability of the modern therapies for many rural populations
in developing countries (Krishna et al., 2004). The
World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended and encouraged the use of
alternative therapy especially in countries where access to the conventional
treatment of diabetes is not adequate (Claudia et
al., 2006).
Plants used in traditional medicine to treat diabetes mellitus
represent a valuable alternative for the control of this disease (Paul
et al., 2006). The use of medicinal plant is quasi-general
throughout the continent; however some of the plants reputed in the indigenous
system of medicine are not scientifically established for their activities
(Kuete et al., 2009). In this context, a number of
medicinal plants and herbs have been studied and validated for their
hypoglycaemic potential using experimental animal models of diabetes as well
clinical studies involving diabetic patients.The plants used include the
members of the Moraceae family and within this family, the genus Ficus
is well documented for its biological activities such as hypoglycemia and
antihyperglycemia (Vivek et al., 2010),
antidiabetes (Mohana et al., 2010),
antioxidant and antimicrobial (Al-Fatimi et al.,
2007 ; Changwei et al ., 2008), anticancer
( Al-Fatimi et al., 2007), antidiarhoeal,
antiplasmodial, anti-pyretic, antiulcer, gastroprotective (Rao et
al., 2008), etc. Ficus ovata, another plant of the Ficus
specie found in the savanna woodland, forest edges, river side forest and
secondary forest, up to an altitude of 2100 m is distributed in the subtropical
Africa. Ficus species is known as elephant tree and Punjab in English
(Tchinda, 2010). Ficus ovata is use widely for street
ornament in Dakar (Kuete et al., 2009). Traditionally
the decoction of the stem bark and leaves of this plant is used for the
treatment of infectious diseases, gastrointestinal infections, diarrhea,
anti-poison and as lactation stimulant (Kuete et al.,
2009).
PROBLEMATIC AND HYPOTHESIS
Formulation of problem
Even though there is no specific cure for diabetes mellitus,
there exist ways of reducing the blood sugar level and to prevent long-term
complications such as stroke and cardio vascular diseases (CVD). Numerous
curative effects of F. ovata have been discovered, but no scientific
investigation was focused on the antidiabetic activity. This work is therefore
orientated towards the research of the ability of F. ovata to inhibit
reaction favoring the digestion, absorption of glucose and fat and its presence
in blood leading to the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic in laboratory rats.
Study interest
· To confirm the well found antioxidant activity of
F. ovata;
· To recognize and valorize resources that our African
environment has offered to us;
· To arouse a true complementary collaboration between
biochemist, microbiologist, phytochemist, pharmacists and traditional
pharmacopoeia, so that it can be beneficial to the society.
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