A medicinal plant called Boga phutkola in Assamese or Yachubi in Manipuri (O. nepalensis) used as potent anti-diabetic by the local herbal healers of Northeast India, especially in Assam, Manipur, and Nepal has been proved to be effective in lowering the blood glucose level.

Osbeckia nepalensis is an ICMR documented plant well known for its antidiabetic uses among the people of Northeast Region of India. In-depth study with scientific substantiation of the plant could help uphold the therapeutic potential against the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

A study by scientists of Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), an autonomous institution of Department of Science and Technology found that the traditionally used medicinal plant Osbeckia nepalensis can potentially reduce excessive gluconeogenesis-- turning of glycogen into glucose by the liver, which will help control fasting blood sugar. The plant does this through the inhibition of two key gluconeogenetic enzymes -- PEPCK and G6Pase.  

The study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology has traced the molecular pathway using immunoblotting of the different associated proteins and has isolated markers and active constituents which can help development of phytopharmaceutical drugs.

Publication link:  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2022.115936  

For more details, please contact: Dr. Jagat C Borah, Associate Professor, IASST at jagatb[at]iasst[dot]gov[dot]in

Figure 1: Summary of the study revealed that Osbeckia nepalensis Hook. and Taxifolin-3-O-glucoside isolated thereof mediates antihyperglycemic activity via regulating AMPK/G6Pase/PEPCK signaling axis.