Evaluation of the inhibition of carbohydrate hydrolysing enzymes, antioxidant activity and polyphenolic content of extracts of ten African Ficus species (Moraceae) used traditionally to treat diabetes

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dc.contributor.author Olaokun, Oyinlola Oluwunmi
dc.contributor.author McGaw, Lyndy Joy
dc.contributor.author Eloff, Jacobus Nicolaas
dc.contributor.author Naidoo, Vinny
dc.date.accessioned 2014-04-14T07:32:17Z
dc.date.available 2014-04-14T07:32:17Z
dc.date.issued 2013-05-04
dc.description.abstract BACKGROUND: Some Ficus species have been used in traditional African medicine in the treatment of diabetes. The antidiabetic potential of certain species has been confirmed in vivo but the mechanism of activity remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to determine the activity and to investigate the mechanism of antidiabetic activity of ten selected Ficus species through inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase activity, and the possible relationship between these activities, the total polyphenolic content and the antioxidant activity. METHODS: Dried acetone leaf extracts were reconstituted with appropriate solvents and used to determine total polyphenolic content antioxidant activity, α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. RESULTS: The crude acetone extract of F. lutea had the highest polyphenolic content (56.85 ± 1.82 mg GAE/g of dry material) and the strongest antioxidant activity with a TEAC value of 4.80 ± 0.90. The antioxidant activity of the acetone extracts of the Ficus species may not be ascribed to total polyphenolic content alone. The crude extract at a concentration of 0.5 mg/ml of F. lutea (64.3 ± 3.6%) had the best α-glucosidase (sucrase) inhibitory activity. The EC50 of F. lutea (290 ± 111 μg/ml) was not significantly different from that of F. sycomorus (217 ± 69 μg/ml). The α-amylase inhibitory activity of F. lutea (95.4 ± 1.2%) at a concentration of 1 mg/ml was the highest among the Ficus species screened. The EC50 for F. lutea (9.42 ± 2.01 μ g/ml), though the highest, was not significantly different (p < 0.05) from that of F. craterostoma and F. natalensis. It was apparent that the crude acetone extract of F. lutea is a partially non-competitive inhibitor of α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Based on correlation coefficients polyphenolics may be responsible for α-glucosidase activity but probably not for α-amylase activity. CONCLUSION: Antidiabetic activity potential via inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase was discovered in Ficus lutea which has not been previously reported. The acetone extract of the leaves was high in total polyphenolic content and antioxidant activity, and was a potent inhibitor of α-amylase activity. Research is underway to isolate the active compound(s) responsible for the antidiabetic activity and to confirm the in vitro antidiabetic activity and to investigate in vitro toxicity. en
dc.description.librarian am2014 en
dc.description.librarian mn2014
dc.description.sponsorship The National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa en
dc.description.uri http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6882/13/94 en
dc.identifier.citation Olaokun et al.: Evaluation of the inhibition of carbohydrate hydrolysing enzymes, antioxidant activity and polyphenolic content of extracts of ten African Ficus species (Moraceae) used traditionally to treat diabetes. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2013 13:94. en
dc.identifier.issn 1472-6882
dc.identifier.other 10.1186/1472-6882-13-94
dc.identifier.other 55952645400
dc.identifier.other 7005589445
dc.identifier.other 8621439700
dc.identifier.other A-1508-2008
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/2263/39657
dc.language.iso en en
dc.publisher BioMed Central en
dc.rights © 2013 Olaokun et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License en
dc.subject African Ficus species en
dc.subject Ficus lutea en
dc.subject Diabetes en
dc.subject α-Amylase inhibitory activity en
dc.subject α- Glucosidase inhibitory activity en
dc.subject Antioxidant activity en
dc.subject Polyphenol content en
dc.subject.lcsh Alternative medicine -- South Africa en
dc.subject.lcsh Materia medica, Vegetable en
dc.subject.lcsh Medicinal plants en
dc.title Evaluation of the inhibition of carbohydrate hydrolysing enzymes, antioxidant activity and polyphenolic content of extracts of ten African Ficus species (Moraceae) used traditionally to treat diabetes en
dc.type Article en


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