Investigation of the inhibition effect of pitaya (hylocereus guatemalensis) bark extracts on some metabolic enzymes

Abstract

Pitaya is a tropical and subtropical plant with various uses. In this study, the maceration method obtained acetone, ethanol, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, and methanol from the bark parts of pitaya fruit. The in vitro effects of fruit peel extracts on the critical metabolic enzyme activities of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), human carbonic anhydrase (hCA I and hCA II), and α-glycosidase, were investigated. Pitaya bark ethanol (PBE) (IC50: 20.16±0.22 µg/mL, r2:0.9694) for AChE and Pitaya bark acetone (PBA) (IC50:42.10±1.045 µg/mL, r2:0.9807) extract for BChE showed the most potent inhibition effect. Pitaya bark ethyl acetate (PBEA) extract showed the most potent inhibitory effect for hCA I and hCA II (IC50:53.51±2.22 µg/mL, r2:0.9562 and IC50:26.29±0.34 µg/mL, r2:0.9966), respectively. In addition, PBEA showed the most potent inhibition effect on α-glycosidase enzyme (IC50: 24.54±1.80 µg/mL, r2:0.9199). According to the results, the extracts can be effectively used treatment of diseases such as glaucoma, epilepsy, type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and Alzheimer's disease (AD).