(1) Chinese herbal medicine with hypoglycemic effect. In order to find natural plant drugs to prevent and treat diabetes, Chinese medical scientists and technicians have studied the effects of Chinese herbal medicines on blood sugar. Now several common Chinese herbal medicines with hypoglycemic effects are listed as follows:
Ginseng: Pharmacological research shows that ginseng has hypoglycemic effect on normal dogs and alloxan diabetic dogs, and has obvious hypoglycemic effect on alloxan diabetic rats. Ginsenoside can obviously inhibit hyperglycemia in alloxan-induced diabetic rats, and its effect can still be maintained for 1 ~ 2 weeks after drug withdrawal. Clinical research shows that ginseng can not only improve systemic symptoms such as fatigue, thirst and weakness, but also reduce blood sugar and urine sugar. It is suitable for patients with mild to moderate diabetes, and the curative effect is better for those with deficiency of kidney, qi and yin, but not for those with deficiency of yin and dryness.
Astragalus membranaceus: Pharmacological research has the functions of enhancing myocardial contractility, relaxing coronary vessels, lowering blood pressure, protecting liver cells and lowering blood sugar. Clinically, Astragalus membranaceus combined with Radix Rehmanniae, Radix Scrophulariae, Radix Ophiopogonis and other nourishing yin drugs are commonly used to treat diabetes.
Radix Rehmanniae and Radix Rehmanniae Preparata: Pharmacological studies have the effects of lowering blood sugar and inhibiting experimental hyperglycemia. The hypoglycemic component of Rehmannia glutinosa is Rehmannia glutinosa.
Scrophularia: It has the function of lowering blood pressure and blood sugar. Animal experiments show that Radix Scrophulariae fluid extract can reduce the blood sugar of normal rabbits.
Polygonatum sibiricum: Its components are mucus, starch and sugar. Has the effects of resisting fatty liver, lowering blood sugar, lowering blood pressure, reducing blood fat and preventing atherosclerosis.
Lycium barbarum: It has the functions of lowering blood sugar, lowering blood pressure and resisting fatty liver.
Cortex Lycii: Pharmacological research has obvious antihypertensive and hypoglycemic effects. The blood sugar of rabbits first increased for a short time, then decreased for a long time, and still did not recover after 4 ~ 8 hours.
Pueraria lobata: Flavonoids extracted from Pueraria lobata can increase the blood flow of brain and coronary vessels, reduce vascular resistance and reduce blood pressure. Puerarin can obviously reduce the blood sugar of alloxan diabetic rats, and the hypoglycemic effect is lasting.
Huanglian: According to clinical reports, berberine can significantly reduce blood sugar in the treatment of diabetes. Huanglian decoction can reduce the blood sugar of normal mice and alloxan diabetic mice. Experiments show that the hypoglycemic mechanism of berberine does not affect the secretion and release of insulin, nor does it affect the number and affinity of insulin receptors in hepatocytes, but produces hypoglycemic effect by inhibiting gluconeogenesis and promoting glycolysis.
Cortex Mori, Mulberry, Trichosanthis Radix and Galla Chinensis: The research on hypoglycemic effect of 50 traditional medicines for treating diabetes in Beijing Hospital shows that cortex Mori, Mulberry, Trichosanthis Radix and Galla Chinensis have obvious hypoglycemic effect, especially cortex Mori.
Momordica Charantia: The cooperative research between PLA 197 Hospital and China Academy of Sciences showed that the crude extract of Momordica Charantia had significant hypoglycemic effect. Radioimmunoassay showed that Momordica charantia extract had obvious binding reaction with insulin receptor and insulin antibody, indicating that it had the same antigenicity and biological activity as insulin. The crude extract of momordica charantia has similar effect to insulin.
Guava: The diabetes research group of Guangxi Medical College conducted animal and clinical research on guava leaves and fruits. The results show that the effective components of guava leaves are flavonoid glycosides, which can promote insulin binding to specific receptors on target cell membrane, regulate glucose and lipid metabolism, and have the effects of lowering blood sugar and lowering blood pressure and lipid.
Others: Anemarrhena asphodeloides, siberian cocklebur fruit, Catharanthus roseus alkaloids, Lingxiang, cactus, Hainan grape, Ningxia Lycium barbarum (root), Polygonum cuspidatum, iron Tian Jian, yew (leaf), dragon teeth, Muhumu (bark), Polygonatum odoratum, Atractylodes lancea, Liuwei Dihuang Pill, Bawei Dihuang Pill, Baihu Jiashen Decoction, Yuquan Pill, Yu Ye Decoction, etc.
(2) Chinese herbal medicines commonly used in Chinese medicine to treat diabetes. Sometimes pharmacological research and clinical experiments are not completely unified. Some prescriptions in traditional Chinese medicine have good long-term treatment effect on diabetes, but pharmacological experiments have not found obvious hypoglycemic effect. This shows that the role of traditional Chinese medicine is very extensive, not just relying on its hypoglycemic effect. In fact, the advantage of traditional medicine in treating diabetes lies not only in lowering blood sugar, but also in taking comprehensive measures to alleviate clinical symptoms, prevent and treat various chronic complications and prolong the survival period of diabetic patients through syndrome differentiation and treatment. Throughout the ancient and modern methods of treating diabetes, there are mainly nourishing yin and clearing heat, tonifying kidney and strengthening spleen, benefiting qi and nourishing yin, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. Commonly used drugs mainly include the following categories:
Yiqi drugs: Ginseng, Codonopsis pilosula, Astragalus membranaceus, Pseudostellaria heterophylla and Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. , Atractylodes macrocephala, Chinese yam, lentils, Polygonatum sibiricum, etc.
Medicine for nourishing yin: Radix Rehmanniae, Radix Scrophulariae, Radix Ophiopogonis, Radix Rehmanniae Preparata, Rhizoma Polygonati Odorati, Radix Asparagi, Fructus Schisandrae, Corni Fructus, Fructus Lycii, Dendrobium, Fructus Ligustri Lucidi, Radix Adenophorae, Mulberry, etc.
Antipyretic: gypsum, rhizoma anemarrhenae, mirabilite, pollen, fructus Gardeniae, rhizoma Phragmitis, pericarpium Watermelon, cortex Lycii, rhizoma Coptidis, Scutellariae radix, radix et rhizoma Rhei, flos Lonicerae, fructus forsythiae, semen Celosiae, herba Eriocauli, cortex moutan, and radix Puerariae.
Aphrodisiac: pilose antler, Rhizoma Curculiginis, Cistanche deserticola, Herba Epimedii, Cortex Cinnamomi, Radix Aconiti Lateralis, Rhizoma Cibotii, Radix Morindae Officinalis, Fructus Psoraleae, Fructus Alpinae Oxyphyllae, Semen Cuscutae, Semen Allii Tuberosi, etc.
Drugs for invigorating spleen and eliminating dampness: Atractylodes macrocephala, Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria, Polyporus, Alisma orientalis, Pogostemon, Eupatorium adenophorum, Coicis Semen, Plantaginis Semen, Stigma Maydis, Polygonum cuspidatum, Pyrrosia, Herba Artemisiae Scopariae, etc.
Drugs for regulating qi and promoting blood circulation: Bupleurum, Fructus Aurantii, Radix Aucklandiae, Linderae, Fructus Toosendan, Lignum Santali Albi, Citron Peel, Semen Litchi, Cortex Magnolia Officinalis, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Radix Paeoniae Rubra, Rhizoma Chuanxiong, Herba Leonuri, Semen Persicae, Carthami Flos, Herba Lycopi, Caulis Spatholobi, Herba Artemisiae Anomalae, Buxus Polygoni Cuspidati, Radix Rubiae, Rhizoma Corydalis and Oletum Trogopterori.
Hemostatic drugs: Cirsium japonicum, Notoginseng Radix, Platycladus orientalis, Sanguisorba officinalis, Sophora japonica, lotus root node, Pollen Typhae, Agrimonia pilosa, etc.
Others: Fructus Trichosanthis, Rhizoma Pinelliae, Caulis Bambusae, Cortex Mori, Semen Lepidii, etc.