Abstract
M.Tech. (Homoeopathy)
Diabetes mellitus is a common and serious metabolic disorder that is characterized by elevated plasma glucose levels. Chronic impairment in plasma glucose levels eventually results in damage to the micro-vascular circulation, especially of the eyes, kidneys, nerves and blood vessels, eventually resulting in life threatening complications (Peer et al. 2014). Chronic non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes have become a great contributor to the mortality rate world wide. Despite attempts to prevent and control the epidemic with various interventions and strategies, the number of people suffering from non-communicable diseases are increasing at an alarming rate in South Africa and around the world (Solomons et al., 2017).
Numerous medicinal plants have been identified for their ability to lower hyperglycaemia and to treat the symptoms and complications of diabetes mellitus. According to Elavarasi et al. (2013), Syzygium jambolanum has been studied extensively for more than a century, showing promising results in both animal and in vitro studies for its ability to lower blood glucose levels. However, there is still a lack of reliable, verifiable and high quality research done on human participants to determine the true effect of Syzygium jambolanum in diabetes or its potential hypoglycaemic action.
The aim of this systematic review was to identify, appraise and synthesize evidence on the anti-diabetic properties of the different parts of Syzygium jambolanum in human clinical and experimental studies.
A systematic review was conducted based on the available articles and journals sourced from the University of Johannesburg electronic database. The Cochrane Collaboration methodological guidelines were followed to ensure a high quality systematic review. An extensive database search was conducted to identify any English literature pertaining to the anti-diabetic properties of Syzygium jambolanum. Literature included in this systematic review consisted of any available English electronic literature pertaining to the anti-diabetic properties of Syzygium jambolanum, clinical studies, observational studies, clinical trials and comparative studies done on humans from 2006 onwards...