Estudo literário etnobotânico de plantas hipoglicemiantes utilizadas como terapia complementar no tratamento do diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus is a pathology that is characterized as a metabolic disorder related to a deficiency in the synthesis and production of insulin. Factors by which blood glucose levels rise considerably beyond normal causing hyperglycemia. Among the most common types of diabetes present in the population today, Diabetes Mellitus type 1 and 2 stands out. Which can be triggered by the influence of genetic, nutritional and environmental factors. The use of medicinal plants in the complementary treatment of Diabetes Mellitus is a recurring practice and has been increasingly intensified, since they have in their composition agents related to hypoglycemic action, such as bioactive compounds, such as flavonoids, in addition to the antioxidant action, which perform antidiabetic activities capable of regulating and improving the performance of the patient's organism. Thus, the present study aimed to carry out a literary ethnobotanical survey of plants with hypoglycemic effect used as complementary therapy in the treatment and control of Diabetes Mellitus, through an integrative literature review. To carry out the research, an integrative literature review was used as a methodology. Where searches were carried out for publications in databases such as: Scientific Electronic Library Online (SCIELO), PUBMED and Google Scholar. For better accuracy of the results, descriptors such as Diabetes Mellitus, hypoglycemic effect, ethnobotany, as well as the use of the Boolean operator AND, were applied in the period from 2018 to 2022. The database that most presented studies of interest was Google Academic where the 11 studies selected for data collection started from the respective platform, all in Portuguese. Thirty-eight species of plants used in the treatment of Diabetes Mellitus were mentioned, with the most cited species being Cissus verticillata (L.) Nicholson & C. E. Jarvis, Bauhinia forficata L and Annona muricata. Which have been shown to have hypoglycemic effects capable of lowering blood glucose levels as well as antioxidant action. Although many studies prove the efficacy of species with hypoglycemic effects and their activities prove to be promising in controlling the effects of the disease, further research is still necessary, such as clinical studies that evaluate the interaction of its various constituents, especially when these plants are used in parallel with other drugs. So that it is possible to draw up strategies that improve and offer safety to patients in the treatment