Endocrine Abstracts

Phytotherapy is the integral part of the combined treatment for diabetes mellitus. A large number of plants possessing hypoglycemic activity are described in the literature, but only small part of them is in use. Hypoglycemic effect of medicinal plants is preconditioned by the wide spectrum of compounds with biological activity in their composition. Flowers of carthamus (Carthamus tinctorius) and leaves of celery (Apium graveolens) are known to possess a numb...

Associated with the increased generation of free radicals and reduced activity of antioxidant system, oxidative stress is a pathogenetic mechanism underlying the onset of diabetic complications. Antioxidants are known to facilitate normalization of lipid peroxidation, composition, structures and functions of biological membranes. Antioxidants are universal membrane-trophic agents protecting against damaging factors. Plant antioxidants play a significant role in treatment of di...