INVESTIGATION INTO ANTI-DIABETIC, ANTI-MICROBIAL AND HYPOLIPIDEMIC PROPERTIES OF SORBUS DECORA USED IN THE MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES – EFFECTS ON PI3-K/AKT SIGNALLING PATHWAY

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disease, which is characterized by insufficient or inefficient insulin secretory response and elevated blood glucose level (Prabhakar and Doble, 2008). In 2021, 536.6 million people worldwide suffered from diabetes and this number is projected to grow to 783.2 million by 2045 (Sun et al., 2022). Sorbus decora (SD), commonly known as the northern mountain ash, is a very small tree native to northeastern North America. It occurs throughout the eastern Canadian boreal forests. With the increasing prevalence of diabetic population, there arises a need for research into more efficacious alternatives. The studies on edible plants which have a hypoglycemic effect would be of great value in the management of diabetes. The expected outcomes include: (i)Publication of our research work in reputable journals (ii) Presentation of our new research findings to an international audience (iii) Development of a new drug which is less expensive with minimal side effects.

Faculty Supervisor:

Igor Kovalchuk

Student:

Partner:

University of the Free State

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Other; Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Biotechnology

University:

University of Lethbridge

Program: