Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Chromium in a series of Portuguese plants used in the herbal treatment of diabetes

  • Published:
Biological Trace Element Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Chromium (Cr3+) is an essential micronutrient for humans. Its main action is thought to be the regulation of blood sugar, because chromium deficiency is associated with diabetic-like symptoms, and chromium supplementation is correlated with increased glucose tolerance and insulin sensivity. Some Portuguese aromatic plants are utilized as tisanes by diabetic people as medicinal plants. Their active principle is not yet known, and the importance of their chromium content in the claimed therapeutic properties should not be discarded. Therefore, determination of chromium in some Portuguese medicinal plants was performed by flameless atomic absorption. All the analyzed plants contain chromium at the normal level for this element, but the plants used to prepare tisanes to help diabetic conditions contain higher levels (2.2 μg/g dry wt ±0.88;n=11) than the others (0.88 μg/g dry wt±0.18;n=17).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. K. Schwartz and W. Mertz,Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 85, 292 (1959).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. W. H. Glinsmann and W. Mertz,Metabolism 15, 510 (1966).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. W. Mertz,Physiol. Rev. 49, 163 (1969).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. W. Mertz,J. Nutr. 123, 625 (1993).

    Google Scholar 

  5. R. A. Anderson,Biol. Trace. Element Res. 32, 19 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. R. A. Anderson,Essential and Toxic Trace Elements in Human Health and Disease: An Update, Wiley-Liss, pp. 221–234 (1993).

  7. R. A. Anderson,J. Adv. Med. 8(1), 37 (1995).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. R. A. Anderson, M. M. Polanski, N. A. Bryden, and J. J. Canary,Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 54, 909 (1991).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. R. A. Anderson, N. A. Bryden, and M. Polansky,Biol. Trace Element Res. 32, 117 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. J. Adrian,Science des Aliments.11, 417 (1991).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. G. S. Mahdi and D. J. Naismith,Ann. Nutr. Metabol. 35, 65 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. A. J. Curtius and C. C. Campos,Anais da Acad. Bras. de Ciências 34, 4 (1982).

    Google Scholar 

  13. L. Jorhem,J. AOAC Int. 76(4), 798 (1993).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. J. Felcman and M. L. Tristão Bragança,Biol. Trace Element Res. 17, 11 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. R. D'Oliveira Feijão,Medicina Pelas Plantas, Livraria progresso editora, Lisboa (1952).

    Google Scholar 

  16. E. G. Offenbacher and F. X. Pi-Sunyer,Diabetes 29, 919 (1980).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. R. A. Anderson, M. M. Polanski, N. A. Bryden, and J. J. Canary,Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 54, 909 (1991).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. W. Mertz,Chemica Scripta,21, 145 (1983).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. E. W. Toepfer, W. Mertz, M. M. Polansky, E. E. Roginski, and W. R. Wolf,J. Agricultural Food Chem. 25, 162 (1977).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. J. B. Vincent,J. Inorg. Biochem. 51, 77 (1993).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Escola Superior Agrária (IPCB), 6000, Castelo Branco, Portugal

    Valdemar Rebelo Osório e Castro

Authors
  1. Valdemar Rebelo Osório e Castro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Osório e Castro, V.R. Chromium in a series of Portuguese plants used in the herbal treatment of diabetes. Biol Trace Elem Res 62, 101–106 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02820025

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02820025

Index Entries

Search

Navigation