ABSTRACT
Galega officinalis, goat’s rue, is a plant from which the medicine metformin has been derived; the latter is very widely used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus (diabetes), a metabolic disease associated with high blood glucose levels. Metformin is now synthesised entirely artificially. The final stage of this synthesis is the reaction of dimethylamine with cyanoguanidine. Both of these compounds can be made from a simple inorganic source of carbon, such as coke, together with water, limestone, and nitrogen. Metformin was originally used in South Africa for the treatment of pregnancy diabetes in the ‘Cape Coloured’ population i.e. persons of mixed race or Khoisan descent. Insulin resistance and obesity have complications other than diabetes. Metabolic syndrome refers to a condition with obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, vascular disease and, in women, polycystic ovarian disease. Metformin treatment has been shown to reverse polycystic ovaries and restore fertility, though this effect is disputed.
