‘Don't let diabetes take the sweetness out of your life'
Mehanil Tablet - A Proprietary Medicine from Vaidyaratnam Oushadhasala, which is indicated in the management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). It is a tablet dosage form consisting of 4 drugs- Vairi or Saptachakra ( Salacia reticulata ), Karavellam ( Momardica charantia ) , Methika ( Trigonella foenum ) and Avarthaki ( Cassia auriculata ). It has significant inhibitory activity on intestinal enzymes like alpha glucosidase and alpha amylase which attribute to its antidiabetic activity. It may also stimulate beta cells of pancreatic islets for insulin secretion.
Indication: Prameha
Experiential wisdom:
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and its associated symptoms
Dosage: 1-2 tablets twice daily before food or as directed by the physician.
Contraindication: Gestational diabetes
Cumulative Pharmacological properties of Mehanil Tablet:
Rasa: Thiktha,katu,kashaya
Guna: Laghu,ruksha
Virya: Sheetha
Vipaka: Katu
Cumulative Pharmacological action of the formulation:
Doshakarma: Kaphavatahara
Dhathukarma: Rakthaprasadhana,Medososhanam
Srothokarma: Lekhana
Agnikarma: Deepana
Anyakarma: Mehanashini, pandughna, Arochakahara,Vishahara
Supportive Phytoconstituents:
Mangiferin, kotalanol and salacinol,Charantin,Charantosides, luteolin,Flavanoid, phenolic compound- gallic acid,galactomannan rich soluble fiber fraction, saponin, and an amino acid called 4‒hydroxy leucine.
Pharmacodynamics:
Modern point of view :
The aqueous extract of Salacia reticulata reported the presence of mangiferin, kotalanol and salacinol, which attributed to the antidiabetic property by inhibitory activity of intestinal enzymes (α-glucosidase and α-amylase).Tannins are much high level in water extract that reported to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and have anticancer activities. Furthermore, polyphenols, diterpenes and triterpenes, salicinol, and various catechins were shown to exhibit inhibitory activity against pancreatic lipase. Thus inhibition of pancreatic lipase activity in the small intestine is believed to be the main mechanism by which postprandial hyperlipidaemia is attenuated by the hot water extracts of Salacia root.
The aqueous extract of M. charantia fruits can stimulate insulin secretion of β cells in pancreatic islets isolated from obese-hyperglycemic mice . Another study shows that the M. charantia fruit aqueous extract also has hypoglycaemic activity in cyproheptadine-induced diabetic mice . Orally administered M. charantia aqueous extracts lowered glucose concentrations independently of intestinal glucose absorption and involved extrapancreatic effects . It also plays a role in the renewal of β cells in STZ-diabetic rats or recovery of destroyed β cells. A boiling water extract from M. charantia has significant repairing effects on HIT-T15 cells against superoxide anion radicals,which showed potential cell repairing activity on alloxan-damaged HIT-T15 pancreatic β cells; its fraction with a Mw below 3 kDa (2%) performed better in stimulating insulin secretion . Moreover, an active compound present in MC extract known as charantin is proven to increase GLUT4, thus increasing glucose utilization in the liver and muscle tissue. The presence of flavanoid reported to attribute the antioxidant activities to the aqueous extracts of M. charantia pulp. Phenolic compounds, they are known as hydrophilic antioxidants. The main phenolic acid contained in bitter melon was gallic acid.
The peculiar nonprotein branched amino acid 4-hydroxyisoleucine has been described as an efficient compound in the regulation of insulin secretion. Due to the fact that it acts as an insulin secretagogue in the presence of elevated blood glucose concentrations, it has been proposed for the potential treatment of insulin resistance, diabetes and obesity. The beneficial effects observed are related to the regulation of blood glucose, the reduction of lipotoxicity by decreasing plasma triglycerides, FFAs, and total cholesterol, and the improvement of liver function. The mechanism of action is related to a reduced activation of JNK and NF-κB activity.
The phytochemical screening of aqueous extract of Trigonella foenum-graecum indicated the presence of flavonoids, tannins, saponins, anthocyanins, leucoanthocyanins, and the absence of quinones, terpenes, and steroids. HPLC analysis reveals an increase in total phenolic compound concentration by the process of sprouting. The important constituents that are found to be responsible for generating the antidiabetic effects are galactomannan rich soluble fiber fraction, saponin, and an amino acid called 4‒hydroxyleucine which helped in increasing insulin in hyperglycemic state. The administration of sprouted fenugreek seed could result in prevention of the enzymatic leakage and the rise in lipid peroxidation and enhancement of the antioxidant potential. The constituents that are understood to be responsible were flavonoids and phenolic compounds which generally marks their presence in the polar solvent system due to their self-polar nature.