Increasing Insulin Production

This project is aimed to advance our understanding of plant remedies widely used in Gabon in health and disease. There is limited understanding of the antidiabetic profile of such natural remedies and there is no substantial scientific evidence in support of their therapeutic benefits in man. Moreover, not much effort has been made toward identifying the key hypoglycaemic constituents or indeed elucidate the underlying mechanisms that could lead to their antidiabetic effects.

This project explores the efficacy and potency of Tabernanthe iboga (TiAE) in isolated pancreatic islets of Langerhan. Wider understanding of long term vascular changes involved in diabetes is also under investigation.

Project aims

The project aims include to:

  1. ascertain the effects of root extracts on insulin production.

  2. identify the active compounds in the extracts.

  3. determine whether the active compounds have other effects in diabetic models.

 

 

Project findings and impact

Output, findings and impact will be updated in due course.

Research Team

Dr Louise Mackenzie

Dr Wendy Macfarlane

Output

BADING, B., Boukandou, M., Souza, A, Paul, P., Bourobou, B., Mackenzie, L.S., Lione, L. An overview of anti-diabetic plants used in Gabon: Pharmacology and Toxicology. J Ethnopharmacol. 2018 Jan 2;216:203-228

Rehman, A. U., Dugic, E., Benham, C., Lione, L. & MacKenzie, L. S. Selective inhibition of NADPH Oxidase reverses the over contraction of diabetic rat aorta. Redox Biology. 2, p. 61-64 (2014)

Partners

Dr Lisa Lione (University of Hertfordshire)

Mrs Bayissi Bading (University of Hertfordshire)

Emeritus Professor Mire Zloh (University of Hertfordshire)

Dr Alain Souza (IPHAMETRA institute, Gabon)