Anti-diabetic activity of Aconitum ferox roots

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia arising as a consequence of a relative or absolute deficiency of insulin secretion resistance to insulin action or both. This is a major and growing public health problem throughout the world with an estimated worldwide prevalence of 171 million people in 2000 expected to increase to 366 million people by 2030. The pharmacological agents currently used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) include sulfonylurea biguanide thiazolidinedione and α-glycosidase inhibitors. These agents however have restricted usage due to several undesirable side effects and fail to significantly alter the course of diabetic complications. The high prevalence of DM as well as its long-term complications has led to an ongoing search for hypoglycemic agents from natural sources. Herbal remedies have been used since ancient times for the treatment of DM. Aconitum ferox (A. ferox) is a traditional plant and recommended by Indian Materia Medica as an anti-diabetic plant but there have been no scientific studies; therefore this plant has been chosen to investigate its anti-diabetic activity.