Fruits to treat hypertension and diabetes

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), millions of deaths are caused every year by high blood pressure (hypertension). Hypertension is tightly associated with a higher risk for stroke and coronary heart diseases while diabetes is linked to bad eating habits and lack of exercise. In developing countries, where health care is still immature, hypertension and metabolic diseases such as diabetes are on the rise. Especially in Egypt, the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes is alarmingly high.

Since ancient times, many medicinal plants have been used to treat diabetes and hypertension. With this in mind, the work of the EU-funded 'Natural antidiabetic & anti-hypertensive drugs' (NAAN) project focused on exploitation of the fruits of Solanum distichum and Balanites aegyptiaca as anti-hypertensive and anti-diabetic agents, respectively.

As a first step, NAAN researchers isolated and characterised the bioactive compounds from these plants through different chromatography techniques. They performed pharmacological evaluation of the active extracts and after elucidating their structure, they determined the mechanisms of action against hypertension and diabetes.

The key objective of the NAAN study was to develop safe and effective herbal products that could be commercially exploited by pharmaceutical companies and supported by the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) at the Ministry of Health.

Although initial results are promising, further clinical studies are required to establish these fruits as herbal medicines for the treatment of diabetes and hypertension. Nonetheless, project findings underscore the value of a healthy nutrition in maintaining low blood pressure and normal metabolism.