Tsun-Thai Chai1,2
,
Loo-Yew Yeoh2,
Nor Ismaliza Mohd Ismail1,3,
Hean-Chooi Ong4,
Fazilah Abd Manan5,
Fai-Chu Wong1,2
1Centre for Biodiversity Research;
2Department of Chemical Science;
3Department of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, 31900 Kampar;
4Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur;
5Department of Biosciences and Health Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences and Medical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
For correspondence:- Tsun-Thai Chai
Email: chaitt@utar.edu.my Tel:+6054688888 ext 451
Received: 1 October 2014
Accepted: 9 February 2015
Published: 31 March 2015
Citation:
Chai T, Yeoh L, Ismail NM, Ong H, Manan FA, Wong F.
Evaluation of glucosidase inhibitory and cytotoxic potential of five selected edible and medicinal ferns. Trop J Pharm Res 2015; 14(3):449-454
doi:
10.4314/tjpr.v14i3.13
© 2015 The authors.
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Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the glucosidase inhibitory and cytotoxic activities of five selected edible and medicinal ferns, namely, Blechnum orientale, Davallia denticulata, Diplazium esculentum, Nephrolepis biserrata, and Pteris vittata.
Methods: The aqueous extracts of the five ferns were prepared by water extraction at 90 ºC for 1 h. Antiglucosidase assay was used to determine the effect of each extract on yeast alpha-glucosidase activity in vitro. Cytotoxicity was evaluated using methylthiazol tetrazolium assay on chronic myelogenous leukaemia cell line (K562). The phenolic, hydroxycinnamic acid, flavonoid and proanthocyanidin contents of the extracts were also determined.
Results: The α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of D. esculentum (half maximal effective concentration, EC50 = 6.85 µg/ml) was considerably stronger than that of myricetin (EC50 = 53.21 µg/ml). B. orientale, D. esculentum, N. biserrata, and P. vittata were cytotoxic to K562 cells. P. vittata had the strongest cytotoxicity, although it was less potent than 5-fluorouracil. D. denticulata had the highest phenolic, hydroxycinnamic acid and flavonoid contents of all the extracts while B. orientale had the highest proanthocyanidin content.
Conclusion: Among the five ferns evaluated, D. esculentum is a potential source of an antidiabetic agent and is recommended for further investigation in this regard. All the fern extracts, except D. denticulata, exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity against K562 cells.
Keywords: Medicinal fern, ^5;-Glucosidase inhibition, Cytotoxicity, Blechnum orientale, Davallia denticulata, Diplazium esculentum, Nephrolepis biserrata, Pteri