Introduction
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the most common of the endocrine disorders. Despite advances in drug management of diabetes, the adverse drug effects have made scientists look towards hypoglycemic agents of plant origin, especially in the developing countries. It is postulated that spices play a major role in the management of diabetes. Cinnamon is one such spice, which has the potential to attenuate the development of dia-betes and its complication. It also does not have many adverse side effects. The anti-diabetic effect of Cinnamomi cassiae extract (Cinnamon bark: Lauraceae) in a type II diabetic animal model (C57BIKsj db/db) was studied. Cinnamon extract was administered at different dosages (50, 100, 150 and 200 mg/kg) for 6 weeks.
Aim
The aim of the present paper is to review the outstanding ability of cinnamon to tackle diabetes by boosting insulin function.
Materials and Methods
We used the following sources: Bioscience, Biotechnology and Biochemistry Journal, Science Direct
Results
It was found that blood glucose concentration is significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner compared with the control. In addition, serum insulin levels and HDL–cholesterol levels were significantly higher and the concentration of triglyceride, total cholesterol and intestinal α-glycosidase activity were significantly lower after 6 weeks of administration.
Conclusion
These results suggest that the cinnamon extract has a regulatory role in the blood glucose level and lipids and it may also exert a blood glucose-suppressing effect by improving insulin sensitivity or slowing absorption of carbohydrates in the small intestine.