Babul (Acacia nilotica): A potential source of tannin and its suitability in management of type II diabetes

Abstract

Purpose

The prevalence of diabetes has increased manifold and now become a public health problem from being mild disorder. There is a need to discover more effective and safer antidiabetic agents by utilizing the rich heritage of medicinal plants. Tannins are polyphenols that are obtained from various parts of different plants belonging to multiple species and considered as potential drugs for the treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted in three phases: incorporation of Babul powder in biscuits: assessment of Glycemic Index (GI): suitability of Babul powder on diabetic subjects statistical analysis: area under curve (AUC) for increase in blood glucose was calculated by trapezoidal rule and means were tested for significance by paired t-test. Mean glucose levels of all subjects were calculated for each time point. p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Findings

Tannins are polyphenols that are obtained from various parts of different plants belonging to multiple species. As an indigenous plant of Rajasthan, Babul contains high amount of tannin levels ranging from 18 to 27 percent in deseeded pods from ssp. indica, whereas ssp. nilotica reached up to 50 percent. Hence, Babul was selected as the source of tannin and subjected to diabetics for its suitability. The study concluded that Babul powder is effective in management of blood glucose levels even the simple sugars also and can be considered as suitable for diabetics. The active component for the purpose may be the presence of tannin in the Babul.

Research limitations/implications

The study was conducted on limited number of subjects. A confirmation study is suggested on the diabetic population.

Originality/value

The prevalence of diabetes is rapidly rising all over the globe at an alarming rate. Over few decades, the status of diabetes has changed from being considered as a mild disorder of the elderly to one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality affecting the youth and middle-aged people. Therefore, the present study focused on the development of tannin-based nutraceutical for incorporation in common foods and its health-promoting effect on diabetes.

Citation

Kumari, M., Jain, S. and Dave, R. (2014), "Babul (Acacia nilotica): A potential source of tannin and its suitability in management of type II diabetes", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 44 No. 2, pp. 119-126. https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-06-2013-0072