Chemo-profiling of eucalyptus and study of its hypoglycemic potential

Table 1 Contrasting clinical and pathophysiologic features of types 1 and 2 diabetes

Features	Type 1 DM	Type 2 DM
Age at onset	Early, below 35 yr	Late, after 40-45 yr
Type of onset	Abrupt and severe	Gradual and insidious
Frequency of occurrence	10%-20%	80%-90%
Family history	Less than 20%	About 60%
Pathogenesis	Autoimmune destruction of β-cells	Insulin resistance, impaired insulin secretion
Body weight	Normal	Obese/non-obese
Genetic locus	Unknown	Chromosome 6
Condition of islet cells	Insulitis, β-cell destruction	No insulitis, later fibrosis of islets
Blood insulin level	Decreased insulin	Normal or increased insulin
Clinical management	Insulin and diet	Insulin, oral drugs, diet, exercise

DM: Diabetes mellitus.

Table 2 Phyto-chemicals and pharmacology of four eucalyptus species

Eucalyptus species	Major phyto-chemicals	Pharmacological actions
E. globulus (blue gum/tasmanian blue gum)	Euglobals, essential oils (1, 8 cineole, carvone, citral, citronellal, geranyl acetate, α-pinene, α-pinocarvone, β-pinene), hydrocarbons (4-hydroxytritriacontane-16, 18-dione, 16-hydroxy B tritriacontanone, n-Tritriacontane 16, 18-dione), Macrocarpals H, I, J	Anti-diabetic, anti-bacterial, anti-plaque, anti-tumor, anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-histaminic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-malarial
E. citriodora (temon scented gum)	Essential oils (cineole, citronellal, citronellic acid), sterols (9 β-sitosterol)	Anti-diabetic, analgesic, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, bone resorption inhibition, natural repellant
E. camaldulensis (river red gum/murray red gum)	Essential oil (aromandendrene, myrtenal, borneol, camphene, carvacrol, citronellal, citronellyl acetate, cryptone-α, terpenyl acetate), Flavonoids (apigenin, chrysin, flavone, luteolin, eriodictyol, hesperetin, naringenin, pinocem-brin), triterpenoids (oleanolic acid, maslinic acid, camaldulic acid, camaldulensic acid)	Anti-diabetic, anti-microbial, anti-nociceptive, anti-oxidative, cytotoxic
E. tereticornis (forest red gum)	Essential oils (1, 8-cineole, camphene, carvone, citral, citronellal, geranyl acetate, limonene, linalool oxide), phloroglucinol monoterpene derivatives (euglobal-T1, euglobal IIc), urosolic acid, triterpene esters (tereticornate A and B)	Anti-diabetic, hepatoprotective, myorelaxant

E. globules:Eucalyptus globules;E. citriodora:Eucalyptus citriodora;E. camaldulensis:Eucalyptus camaldulensis;E. tereticornis:Eucalyptus tereticornis.