The present invention provides materials and methods relating to mildly polar
fluid extracts of plant materials, such as Artemisia plant species, useful
in methods for treating diabetes and methods for modulating the activity of glucagon-like
peptide-1 (GLP-1), and in methods for modulating phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase
(PEPCK) activity in a diabetes-specific manner. The extracts are generally non-toxic
and non-mutagenic and may be administered to diabetics with beneficial effect on
blood glucose levels. The extracts may also be administered to non-diabetics without
deleterious effect. The plants are easily grown with a minimum of time, labor,
and cost. Extracts are inexpensively and quickly prepared without the need for
fractionation to remove potentially deleterious compounds, and the extracts may
be administered to mammals such as humans through various routes, in a variety
of forms, and at convenient concentrations.
