Breakthrough revelations to treat Depression, Anxiety & Diabetes

Ajman University always encourages students to excel in their respective fields and contribute positively to the community, this research is the embodiment of this very aim. Remarkable initiatives have always met with resounding success and this breakthrough research will ensure the In-vivo pharmacy will see a hidden dimension in the alternative medicine to compliment the mainstream medicine.

AUST pharmacy students Maryam Samadi, Suha Ghazal and Asmaa Ahmed conducted a unique in vitro experiment to evaluate pharmacological effects of plants in a leading approach to control diabetes mellitus, depression and anxiety.

The research was supervised by Dr. Mohammad Waseemul Islam, assistant professor at AUST College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and Director of the Alternative Medicine Centre.

Diabetes, anxiety and depression are general disorders and widely prevalent in our modern fast-paced life, made even worse by the unhealthy lifestyle we lead.

Having diabetes can make you feel depressed. The diabetic people have an increased risk of developing depression and anxious people have higher chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Diabetes can cause complications and related health problems that may aggravate the symptoms of depression. It is reported that people with diabetes are twice as likely to be depressed as people without the disease. Women’s exposure to this risk is higher than men.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the role of two plants: Thymus vulgaris and Hibuscus subderiferra, taken customarily as herbal drinks by the people in the Mediterranean region. The research also evaluates the anti-diabetic, anti-depression and anti-anxiety characteristics present in the two herbs.

AUST young researchers have experimented on lab rats. For this purpose they used Adult Swiss albino mice of both sexes (weighing 25-30g), and approximately the same age which they obtained from the Experimental Animal Care Center of Ajman University.

The mice were maintained under controlled conditions of temperature, humidity and light and were fed on standard rat chow. The animals were randomly distributed between control and treated groups. The distribution of the animals into groups, the sequence of the trials and the treatment allotted to each group were randomized.

The study evaluated the effects of combining the two plants, Thymus vulgaris and Hibuscussabdariffa found and used in the Arabian region. The results of this experiment show that the herbal combination shows significant anti-depressive activity.

The students praised the support extended by AUST administration and commented, “We recommend the Ministry of Health to support further researches for diabetes mellitus, depression and anxiety. Our sincere gratitude to those who have contributed to our dissertation, most particularly Dr. Mohammad Waseemul Islam, our supervisor for his untiring efforts to making this project a success".

Dr. Mohammad Waseemul Islam explained that “Research is a tool for building knowledge as it is a mean to understanding various issues. The research is the root to promote high quality education that  is  of  use  and  value  to  policy  makers  in  the  UAE".