A Comprehensive Study on a Polyherbal Siddha Compound on Plasma Glucose and Serum Lipids in South Indian Population

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is progressively on the rise in India. It is considered as equivalent to cardio vascular and cerebro vascular disease[1]. Treatment with allopathic medicine though effective poses high economic burden on the individual and the well-known side effects which reduces compliance[2]. There is constant search for drugs from alternative medicine[3]. The PURSE HIS (Prevalence of risk factors and the detection of occult and overt endovascular disease in Urban, Rural and SEmiurban regions with Holistic Intervention Study) cohort study is an ongoing study addressing the above issues. We provide intervention with Siddha medical system[4], according to willingness of participants with abnormal plasma glucose level and serum lipid level conducting a longitudinal follow up for three years. Participants above 20 years of age are provided Madhumega Chooranam (MMC) (2X500mg capsules twice a day) to those with fasting plasma glucose level 6.10–8.26 mmol/L and two hours plasma glucose level 11.1–16.59 mmol/L, total cholesterol 4.53–5.69 mmol/L, triglyceride 1.69–2.83mmol/L and low density lipoprotein 2.07–3.10mmol/L. Base values are kept at a lower range as the compound is being tried for the first time for the two risk factors according to the norms of good clinical practice. Investigations were carried out during follow up visits for glycemic control, lipid profile, renal and liver function tests and hematological parameters. Preliminary phytochemical analysis and HPTLC finger printing were done. This pilot study reveals that MMC has statistically significant hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic action with no adverse effects.

Values are expressed in Mean±SD; N denotes number of subjects; P value denotes Statistical significance compared to 0th day visit; ** *, ** & * denotes p values <0.001; <0.01; <0.05 respectively
Sl.No	Variables	N	Initial visit (mmol/L)	At 20 weeks (mmol/L)	Mean reduction(mmol/L)	P value
1	FBS	47	7.77±2.28	6.97±1.59*	0.80	0.032
2	PPBS	47	13.43±3.50	10.64±3.19***	2.79	0.000
3	HbA1c	47	7.67±1.20	7.19±0.99*	-	0.05
4	Total cholesterol	47	5.08±0.97	4.50±0.75***	0.58	0.000
5	Triglyceride	47	1.86±0.85	1.43±0.65***	0.43	0.000
6	LDL-cholesterol	47	3.32±0.89	3.00±0.66**	0.32	0.006
7	HDL-cholesterol	47	1.09±0.19	1.07±0.20	0.02	0.45
8	Non-HDL-cholesterol	47	3.99±0.93	3.42±0.68***	0.56	0.000

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Drugs and Pharmaceutical Research Program implemented by Technology development and transfer division of Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, New Delhi.

References:[1] Gupta OP, Phatak S (2003) Int J Diab Dev Countries 23(2): 37–50. [2] Grover S, et al. (2005) Postgrad Med J 81: 391–395. [3] Dubey NK, Kumar R, et al. (2004) Cur Sci, 86(1): 37–41. [4] Subbarayappa BV (1997) Lancet, 350(9094): 1841–4.