Evaluation of α-amylase inhibitory potential of three medicinally important traditional wild food plants of India

Abstract

Naturally available α-amylase inhibitors from medicinally important plants are shown to be effective in managing postprandial hyperglycemia (PPHG) which is of major concern in Type -2 diabetes. Three wild food plants namely Oxalis corniculata, Basella rubra, and Cocculus hirsutus with known traditional medicinal values were tested for α-amylase inhibition in order to evaluate their inhibitory potential on porcine pancreatic α-amylase. A total of 15 extracts obtained from three plants by aqueous and solvent extraction have been tested for their inhibitory potential against porcine pancreatic α-amylase. Of the fifteen extracts, five extracts showed concentration-dependent potent inhibition of >75% with IC50 (half maximal inhibitory concentration) values much less than that of standard anti-diabetic drug acarbose namely aqueous extract of Oxalis corniculata 89.87% (100 μg/ml, IC50 -68.08 0.06), chloroform, acetone and methanol extracts of Cocculus hirsutus exhibited 83.33% (60 μg/ml, IC50 -70.48 18.39), 79.10% (100 μg/ml, IC50 -80.77 0.63), 77.2% (100 μg/ml, IC50 -80.11 2.23) respectively. The other extracts of the plants showed inhibition, but not statistically significant. Thus, these extracts showing potent inhibition might prove to be efficient sources for the extraction of natural α-amylase inhibitors. Key words: Basella rubra, Cocculus hirsutus, Oxalis corniculata, postprandial hyperglycemia, α -amylase inhibitors