Abstract
Natural products continue to provide inspiring moieties for the treatment of various diseases. In this regard, investigation of wild plants, which have not been previously explored, is a promising strategy for reaching medicinally useful drugs. The present study aims to investigate the antidiabetic potential of nine Amaranthaceae plants: Agathophora alopecuroides, Anabasis lachnantha, Atriplex leucoclada, Cornulaca aucheri, Halothamnus bottae, Halothamnus iraqensis, Salicornia persia, Salsola arabica, and Salsola villosa, growing in the Qassim area, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The antidiabetic activity of the hydroalcoholic extracts was assessed using in vitro testing of α-glucosidase and α-amylase inhibitory effects. Among the nine tested extracts, A. alopecuroides extract (AAE) displayed potent inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase enzyme with IC50 117.9 µg/mL noting better activity than Acarbose (IC50 191.4 µg/mL). Furthermore, AAE displayed the highest α- amylase inhibitory activity among the nine tested extracts, with IC50 90.9 µg/mL. Based upon in vitro testing results, the antidiabetic activity of the two doses (100 and 200 mg/kg) of AAE was studied in normoglycemic and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice. The effects of the extract on body weight, food and water intakes, random blood glucose level (RBGL), fasting blood glucose level (FBGL), insulin, total cholesterol, and triglycerides levels were investigated. Results indicated that oral administration of the two doses of AAE showed a significant dose-dependent increase (p < 0.05) in the body weight and serum insulin level, as well as a significant decrease in food and water intake, RBGL, FBGL, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, in STZ-induced diabetic mice, compared with the diabetic control group. Meanwhile, no significant differences of both extract doses were observed in normoglycemic mice when compared with normal control animals. This study revealed a promising antidiabetic activity of the wild plant A. alopecuroides.
Highlights
Plants have long been considered important sources of many medicinally useful drugs, as well as many inspiring chemical moieties
The present study investigated the antidiabetic potential of the hydroalcoholic extracts from nine Amaranthaceae plants via assessment of their inhibitory activity against the two enzymes α-amylase and α-glucosidase
Based upon the aforementioned in vitro results, A. alopecuroides extract (AAE) was indicated for possible antidiabetic activity and selected for further confirmation of its antidiabetic potential adopting an in vivo streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic model
Summary
Plants have long been considered important sources of many medicinally useful drugs, as well as many inspiring chemical moieties. Weight control, a healthy diet, and physical activity are the first lines of treatment If these lifestyle measures fail to maintain normal blood glucose levels, drug therapy is usually advised [13]. Drugs such as Acarbose act via the inhibition of carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes, e.g., α-amylase and α-glucosidase, and are commonly used for the treatment of T2DM [14]. In light of all the previously mentioned points, the current study was designed to investigate the antidiabetic potential of nine plants collected from Qassim flora by in vitro study of their inhibitory activity against α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes as a preliminary step, followed by in vivo testing of the most promising extract
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