Abstract
Vangueria madagascariensis (VM), consumed for its sweet-sour fruits, is used as a biomedicine for the management of diabetes and bacterial infections in Africa. The study aims to assess the potential of VM on α-amylase, α-glucosidase, glucose movement, and antimicrobial activity. The antioxidant properties were determined by measuring the FRAP, iron chelating activity, and abilities to scavenge DPPH, HOCl, ∙OH, and NO radicals. Leaf decoction, leaf methanol, and unripe fruit methanol extracts were observed to significantly inhibit α-amylase. Active extracts against α-glucosidase were unripe fruit methanol, unripe fruit decoction, leaf decoction, and ripe fruit methanol, which were significantly lower than acarbose. Kinetic studies revealed a mixed noncompetitive type of inhibition. Leaf methanolic extract was active against S. aureus and E. coli. Total phenolic content showed a strong significant positive correlation (r = 0.88) with FRAP. Methanolic leaf extract showed a more efficient NO scavenging potential and was significantly lower than ascorbic acid. Concerning ∙OH-mediated DNA degradation, only the methanol extracts of leaf, unripe fruit, and ripe fruit had IC50 values which were significantly lower than α-tocopherol. Given the dearth of information on the biologic propensities of VM, this study has established valuable primary information which has opened new perspectives for further pharmacological research.
Highlights
The most active extracts (1 mg/mL) were unripe fruit methanolic extract (IC50 = 0.36 ± 0.07 mg/mL), unripe fruit decoction (IC50 = 0.50 ± 6.0 mg/mL), leaf decoction (IC50 = 0.61 ± 0.21 mg/mL), and ripe fruit methanol (IC50 = 3.28 ± 0.45 mg/mL), where values were significantly lower than acarbose (IC50 = 5.03 ± 0.14 mg/mL)
Though being an underutilized food plant, Vangueria madagascariensis (VM) can be considered as a promising medicinal food plant that deserves to be further explored for the management of diabetes and related complications
VM extracts being more of the noncompetitive type inhibitor implies that the bioactive components responsible for such action would rather bind to a region beside the active site which is a major advantage over acarbose which is a competitive inhibitor
Summary
Some species of genus Vangueria are widely studied in vitro and used in traditional medicine in various countries. In Tanzania, different parts of the species Vangueria infausta have traditionally been used for the treatment and/or management of malaria, wounds, menstrual, and uterine problems [2]. With respect to VM, available folk data suggest its use as an anthelmintic against roundworms, as antimicrobial, as astringent against cholagogue, and as expectorant, for the treatment of smallpox and sores, herpes labialis, and in the management of diabetes [3]. A study carried out among Islanders of the Indian Ocean, which included Mauritians, reported that leaf decoction is taken mainly to treat skin infections and abscesses [5]
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