Antidiabetic Indian Plants: A Good Source of Potent Amylase Inhibitors

Abstract

Diabetes is known as a multifactorial disease. The treatment of diabetes (Type II) is complicated due to the inherent patho-physiological factors related to this disease. One of the complications of diabetes is post-prandial hyperglycemia (PPHG). Glucosidase inhibitors, particularlyα-amylase inhibitors are a class of compounds that helps in managing PPHG. Six ethno-botanically known plants having antidiabetic property namely,Azadirachta indicaAdr. Juss.;Murraya koenigii(L.) Sprengel;Ocimum tenuflorum(L.) (syn:Sanctum);Syzygium cumini(L.) Skeels (syn:Eugenia jambolana);Linum usitatissimum(L.) andBougainvillea spectabiliswere tested for their ability to inhibit glucosidase activity. The chloroform, methanol and aqueous extracts were prepared sequentially from either leaves or seeds of these plants. It was observed that the chloroform extract ofO. tenuflorum; B. spectabilis; M. koenigiiandS. cuminihave significantα-amylase inhibitory property. Plants extracts were further tested against murine pancreatic, liver and small intestinal crude enzyme preparations for glucosidase inhibitory activity. The three extracts ofO. tenuflorumand chloroform extract ofM. koenigishowed good inhibition of murine pancreatic and intestinal glucosidases as compared with acarbose, a known glucosidase inhibitor.