Comparison of Herbal formulation and Herbal extracts of seeds and fruits of selected medicinal plants for Antidiabetic Enzyme Inhibitory Studies

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic non-communicable disease, marked by disturbances of carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism. Drugs having the ability to delay the production or absorption of glucose by inhibiting the action of carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes such as α-amylase and α-glucosidase is considered to reduce the postprandial hyperglycemia. Acarbose is the drug of choice which inhibits carbohydrate digesting enzyme in the gastrointestinal tract but causes various side effects such as diarrhoea and many intestinal disturbances like bloating, flatulence, muscular cramps, and abdominal pain. Hence a novel formulation comprising of coarsely powdered dried seeds of Trigonella foenum graecum L. (Fabaceae) and dried fruits of Coriandrum sativum L. (Apiaceae) mixed in the ratio 1:1 was prepared as a concoction and hydroalcoholic extract of the powder was prepared by maceration with ethanol: water (70:30) solvent. The extractive values of concoction and hydroalcoholic extract were 18.6% w/w and 9.48% w/w respectively. The IC50 values were calculated by linear regression analysis method. The ability to quench 50% of DPPH and nitric oxide radical by concoction was found to be 167.39µg/ml and 207.81µg/ml respectively and the hydroalcoholic extract was found to be 233.72 µg/ml and 274.6µg/ml respectively. The IC50 values for α-amylase inhibition of concoction, hydroalcoholic extract, and acarbose was calculated as 113.98, 597.41, and 65.05µg/ml while α-glucosidase activity was found to be 20.65, 606.70, and 11.95µg/ml respectively thereby showing that the concoction showed a significant effect compared to acarbose in reducing postprandial glucose level due to its α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzyme inhibitory activity substantiated by its free radical scavenging activity.