PLANTS IN THE DETECTION, PREVENTION, CURE AND MANAGEMENT OF CANCER

PLANTS WITH ANALGESIC EFFECTS

       Pain is the most common symptom of a majority of ailments. It is a warning signal that something is not right in that part or the whole of the body. Ironically, most of the time we seek to suppress the signal, leaving out the causes for the ailment. Very severe pain occurs in certain disease states like arthritis, rheumatism, cancer, tooth infections, etc., the alleviation of which is the primary concern of the physician. In view of its wide spread occurrence and the discomfort it causes, pain killers have been among the most used medications, all the time.

       An analgesic (or anodyne) is a drug that that makes us insensible to pain, without impairing the tactile sense, that is we feel no pain but still can sense touch, pressure, heat, etc. On the other hand an anaesthetic is a drug that makes us insensible to all stimuli. Some do not distinghush between an analgesic and an anaesthetic, in spite of the fundamental difference in their action. Hence, analgesics are also called local anaesthics, as the effect of the locally applied or injected drug is localised, in contrast to a general anaesthetic, that is administered by inhalation, with effects all over and althrough the body.

In view of the importance of plants with analgesic (or local anaesthetic effects), the list of 101 species compiled by Dr Mamatha Rao, is given in Appendix 14.

        Diabetes is a metabolic disorder of a very common occurrence, and is of great concern in every part of the world.

        There are three major forms of diabetes such as diabetes innocens, diabetes insipidus, and diabetes mellitus. In the common parlance, diabetes is diabetes mellitus which is the most common form, caused by a deficiency or diminished effectiveness of insulin. This is normally handled by an exogenous supply of insulin, which is freely available in the semi-synthetic form. Other variants are non-insulin dependent diabetes, juvenile-onset diabetes and maturity-onset diabetes, the last two being age related.

        A recent survey of diabetes by a team of experts (British Medical Journal, September, 1998), resulted in a reclassification of diabetes into two types. Type 1: non-insulin dependent, due to ß-cell defect, usually autoimmune. Type 2: insulin dependent, due to insulin resistance with insulin secretory defect, caused by genes, obesity, lack of activity, etc. This is a shift from treatment to aetiology. Type 2 is most usually associated with hypertension. It is advised that it is more important to control blood pressure in Type 2, rather than controlling blood sugar levels. Consequently, very serious changes in diabetes management protocols are expected.

        Diabetes is attributed to hereditary factors, infection, life style, etc. There is no known cure; only control is possible. With this realisation, attention was concentrated on management and on improving the quality of life. Complex protocols have been developed. However, the degree response by the patients, and success rates have mostly been below optimal. Alternative measures have consistently been in demand.

        A number of species of plants have been indicated for use in diabetes even from the times Charaka and Sushrutha. A number of plants in the Indian diet have themselves been found to have antidiabetic effects. However, many species have gone into disuse after disappointing results. An example is the so-called ‘diabetic tumbler’ carved out of the wood of Pterocarpus marsupium. Water stored overnight in this tumbler was quite a popular antidiabetic medication till a few years ago. Clinical trials have shown that the use of Trigonella foenum-graecum (menthya, seed) and Momordica charantia (bitter gourd; raw fruit) is quite effective in the control of diabetes. Among the non-dietary sources, Azadirachta indica, Gymnema sylvestre and Phyllanthus fraternus have been in continued use. Since all cases of diabetes are not identical in either causes or symptoms or severity, there is a need for as many species as possible to suit the specific requirements of a particular patient. A list of 39 species indicated for use in diabetes is given in Appendix 15. For many of these species, support from clinical studies is needed.

        One curious factor is that most antidiabetic species are also good astringents.