Role of Tribulus terrestris in the treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy is a serious complication of diabetes in which elevated blood sugar levels eventually damage the kidneys. Nephropathy means disease or abnormality of the kidney. Diabetic nephropathy is also called diabetic kidney disease. Diabetic nephropathy is the kidney disease that occurs as a result of diabetes. It is a leading cause of kidney failure in Europe and the USA. After many years of diabetes the delicate filtering system in the kidney becomes destroyed, initially becoming leaky to large blood proteins such as albumin which are then lost in urine. This is more likely to occur if the blood sugar is poorly controlled. Herbal medication is the most commonly used alternative therapy for treatment of diabetes and its complication. Present treatment for diabetic nephropathy requires two drugs hypoglycemic and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, from the above study Tribulus terrestris aqueous extract showed significant anti-diabetic as well as renoprotective effect by decreasing serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, urinary albumin and creatinine clearance.