Medicine

High-fructose and cholesterol diet nowadays has increased the incidence of obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome which are the main risk factors of Non-Fatty Pancreas Disease (NAFPD), a pancreatic disease that may lead to pancreatic cancer. The pathogenesis and treatment of NAFPD is currently not well understood yet, but studies show that NAFPD is a reversible state which can be treated by modifying its underlying risk factors. The use of simvastatin in managing pancreatic disease, although was shown to reduce cancer risk and increase survival of patients with pancreatic cancer, raises concerns as simvastatin was recently found to induce diabetes and worsen hyperglycemia and A1c levels in pre-existing diabetes. A. indica Linn. is known to have flavonoids and polyphenols which may decrease serum LDL level and increase serum HDL level. A. indica Linn may also, in contrast to simvastatin, control post-prandial hyperglycemia. A study on mice induced with high fructose and a high cholesterol diet shows that A. indica Linn., with or without combination of simvastatin, helped reverse fatty formation in the pancreas. This article reviews the potential use of Acalypha indica Linn. extract as an alternative approach to modify the risk factors underlying NAFPD.