Tropical Plant Extracts as Potential Antihyperglycemic Agents

Thamilvaani Manaharan,Uma Devi Palanisamy,Cheng Hwee Ming

doi:10.3390/molecules17055915

Thamilvaani Manaharan, Uma Devi Palanisamy + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules17055915

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Abstract

Preliminary investigations on 14 plant extracts (obtained by ethanolic and aqueous extraction) identified those having high antioxidant and a significant total phenolic content. Antihyperglycemic, α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition activities were also observed. A correlation between the antihyperglycemic activity, total phenolic content and antioxidant (DPPH scavenging) activity was established. To further substantiate these findings, the possibility of tannins binding non-specifically to enzymes and thus contributing to the antihyperglycemic activity was also investigated. Our study clearly indicated that the antihyperglycemic activity observed in the plant extracts was indeed not due to non-specific tannin absorption.

Highlights

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin action, insulin secretion or both
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is generally managed through a stepwise program of intensive therapy that consists of lifestyle and sequential addition of oral antihyperglycemic agents (OHAs) and insulin as necessary
The objective of this study was to investigate a number of tropical plant extracts for their antioxidant ability (DPPH radical scavenging activity), antihyperglycemic activity and as well as determine the total phenolic content

Summary

Introduction

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin action, insulin secretion or both. -glucosidase and -amylase, in the digestive tract [1,2] These drugs risk inducing hypoglycemia and over time, lose their efficacy, have prominent side effects and fail to significantly alter the course of diabetic complications. There is widespread use of herbal dietary supplements that are believed to benefit type 2 diabetes mellitus, but still there is a great interest in the development of new drugs to prevent type 2 diabetes mellitus with minimal or without any side effects and to evaluate natural products in experimental studies [5,6,7]. The objective of this study was to investigate a number of tropical plant extracts for their antioxidant ability (DPPH radical scavenging activity), antihyperglycemic activity (as -glucosidase and -amylase inhibitors) and as well as determine the total phenolic content. We studied the correlation between antioxidant ability and antihyperglycemic, -glucosidase and -amylase inhibition activity

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