Browsing by Author "Archer, Kim"

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    Screening of Potential Anti-Diabetic Properties of Barbadian Folklore from Medicinal Plants Using Non-conventional and Conventional Drug Targets
    (The University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, 2022-01-28) Archer, Kim
    Type 2 diabetes can be described as the body’s ineffective use of insulin and it accounts for at least 90% of all diabetic cases. This condition is a multifactorial disease and requires multiple therapeutic approaches, which can lead to prominent irreversible side effects. There are many known classes of drugs for the management of Type 2 diabetes. However, Metformin is used as the oral hypoglycaemic drug of choice for managing the condition. Finding alternative treatments from the plant kingdom is a very viable option. Mormordica charantia (cerasee), Phyllanthus niruri (seed under leaf) and Catharanthus roseus (periwinkle) are all locally grown plants that have been reported anecdotally to exhibit anti-diabetic properties. Their effects on enzymatic drug targets (dipeptidyl peptidase 4 and protein tyrosine phosphatase) to produce better efficacy and safety profiles are being explored. This study incorporates a three-phase drug discovery and preclinical development process to explore potential herbs for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Phase 1 includes the collection and extraction of bioactive compounds from the plants. Phase 2 is the in vitro analysis of the extracts on the respective drug targets and it also includes activity guided purification of the bioactive compounds from the extracts.