A new study has found that essential oils from the Plectranthus neochilus plant may help treat type 2 diabetes.
The research, published in the journal Current Pharmaceutical Analysis, shows that natural compounds in this plant could work as well as some current diabetes medications—without the high cost or side effects.
The study was led by Hamadou Mamoudou and his team, who used advanced computer modeling and laboratory tests to explore how these plant compounds interact with an important enzyme called DPP-4.
This enzyme plays a major role in controlling blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
One compound, citronellyl butyrate, stood out for its strong ability to bind to the DPP-4 enzyme. This means it may be able to block the enzyme and help increase levels of hormones called incretins, which help lower blood sugar.
The research team found that citronellyl butyrate works in a way that is similar to vildagliptin, a commonly used antidiabetic drug.
Other helpful compounds in the Plectranthus neochilus plant include citronellol, citronellyl formate, and linalool. All of these showed good potential for managing diabetes.
What makes these natural compounds especially promising is their ability to be absorbed easily in the body and even cross into the brain. They also showed low toxicity, meaning they’re less likely to cause harmful side effects. This makes them excellent candidates for developing safer, more affordable diabetes treatments.
“This discovery is exciting because it shows that natural plant-based compounds might work just as well as drugs we use today to treat diabetes,” said lead researcher Hamadou Mamoudou. “It opens the door for new types of medicine that are effective, low-cost, and less harmful.”
The next step in the research is to test these compounds in live animals and better understand how they work in the body. Scientists also want to see if these plant compounds could be used along with existing medications to make treatments even more effective.
If future studies confirm these early results, essential oils from the Plectranthus neochilus plant could become a natural alternative or add-on treatment for people with type 2 diabetes. This could mark a major step forward in using plant-based therapies to manage chronic diseases.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about Widely prescribed drug may increase sudden cardiac arrest risk in people with diabetes and findings of These common drugs linked to sudden cardiac arrest in people with type 2 diabetes.
For more about diabetes, please read studies about New diabetes drug could control blood sugar and body weight better and findings of Common diabetes drugs linked to increased heart risk.
The study is published in Current Pharmaceutical Analysis.
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