Development of Anti-Diabetic Recipe from Local Herbs by Community Participation Process

Abstract

This research aimed to study the process of creating community participation in development of anti-diabetic recipe from local herbal plants in Tambon Kohae, Khuangnai District, Ubon Ratchathani Province. Questionnaires, non-participation observation, focus group, in-depth interview, home visit, work-shop and community forum arrangements were used as tools in this study. The statistics used for data analysis were percentage, mean, standard deviation and two-way ANOVA. The results found that the most common health problems were chronic disease problems such as diabetes and hypertension. The circumstance of diabetes in the community indicated that the majority of patients were female, aged between 60-69 years, and had blood glucose levels over than 130 mg/dl. Hypertension was a co-incident disease with diabetes. Behavioral treatment of the most patients was that they went to see the doctor or health workers, not to use herbs for treatment because they had no confidence and lacked of guarantee from health personnel in herbal medicine. There were many different kinds of herbs used in the treatment of diabetes, but there was only one dosage form of decoction. Therefore, folk healers together had the same opinion to develop a traditional anti-diabetic medicine with three herbs which had scientific data supported and obtained from their local area. These herbs were mulberry (Morus alba Linn.), laurel clockvine (Thunbergia laurifolia Lindl), and roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn.). They were developed to be a form of herbal tea. Fourteen diabetes patients were recruited for the clinical study of drinking the tea, and compared blood glucose levels before and after drinking. The result showed that there was a significant difference at statistical level of 0.001 ( =11.36±9.97). In the opinion of the patients who drank the herbal tea, most of them still wanted to drink tea continuously because it was convenient, and it could be drunk instead of water or soft drinks. Additionally, the traditional healers can produce herbal tea, and pack in tea bags. However, to reduce blood sugar, diabetics need to control other factors, such as diet control, exercise, and the promotion of mental health.