Screening study of enzymatic inhibition of medicinal plants for the treatment of diabetes using a glucometer biosensor approach and optical method

Abstract

Based on their traditional use in diabetic control thirty medicinal plants were screened for their inhibition of alpha-glucosidase (AG) and alpha amylase (AA) activities.Based on enzymatic reaction induced glucose release from maltose a new electrochemical sensing system (glucometer) was developed for the measurement of AG inhibition by medicinal plants for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)Screening of the plant extracts obtained by infusion of 2 g in 20 mL of boiling water, highlighted four medicinal plants namely,Lavandula stoeckade <Olea europea L. Var. oleaster <Chamaerops humilis L.<Cinnamomum cassia, which presented with an IC50 < 8 mg/mL of extract inhibition of AG.Three extracts (Punica granatum L, Myrtus communis L and Origanum compactum Benth) showed an interference response in the absence of AG (blank test). This interference was observed using the glucometer and an electrochemical sensor modified using Prussian Blue (PB) which demonstrated its highest selectivity.This study has highlighted the strong inhibition activity of both digestive enzymes alpha glucosidase and alpha amylase by Cinnamomum cassia aqueous extract.