Hypoglycemic Effects of Punarnava (Boerhaavia diffusa)

This study aims to review the antidiabetic effect of Boerhaavia diffusa. Diabetes is a life style disorder that would affect 439 million people globally by 2030. The incidence of diabetes, a metabolic disorder, is increasing at a very rapid pace globally but hypoglycemic drugs like insulin, bioguanides, thiazolidiones and sulphonylureas, which produce several adverse side effects, are still the main stay for its treatment. However, the traditional medicines derived from plants have lesser side effects and are of low cost. Boerhaavia diffusa, belonging to Nyctaginaceae family, also known as Punarnava, has great many medicinal properties and is one of the oldest medicines described in Ayurveda for the treatment of a number of diseases including diabetes. B. diffusa has been reported to be diuretic, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, antifibrolytic, antibacterial, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, immunosuppressive, nephroprotective, antiasthamatic, antihelminitic, etc. It contains alkaloids, flavanoids, lipids, carbohydrates, steroids, lignins, proteins, triterpeniods, glycoproteins, -sitosterol,
-2-sitosterol, ester of -sitosterol, palmitic acid,
-ecdyosone, hexacosanoic, tetracosanoic, arachidonic and stearic acids, etc., which might be responsible for its curative properties. Further reviews need to focus on extensive biochemical and molecular investigations in order to identify the active compounds concerned with the hypoglycemic effect.