Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

In Vitro Screening of α-Amylase Inhibition by Selected Terpenes from Essential Oils

Ljiljana Jelenković¹, Vesna Stankov Jovanović² , Ivan Palić², Violeta Mitić², Milanka Radulović³

¹Medical School, Dr Milenko HadÅ¾ićâ€œ, Zetska 55, 18000 NiÅ¡; ²University of NiÅ¡, Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Department of Chemistry, ViÅ¡egradska 33, 18000 NiÅ¡; ³State University of Novi Pazar, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Vuka KaradÅ¾ića bb, 36300 Novi Pazar, Serbia.

For correspondence:- Vesna Jovanović Email: sjvesna@pmf.ni.ac.rs Tel:+38118533014

Received: 16 May 2014 Accepted: 11 August 2014 Published: 24 September 2014

Citation: Jelenković L, Jovanović VS, Palić I, Mitić V, Radulović M. In Vitro Screening of α-Amylase Inhibition by Selected Terpenes from Essential Oils. Trop J Pharm Res 2014; 13(9):1421-1428 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v13i9.7

© 2014 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To assess some terpenes from herbal products for possible inhibitory effects on serum α-amylase in order to ascertain their potential usefulness in the prevention and/or treatment of diabetes Type 2.

Methods: Solutions of terpenes (citral, eukalyptol, β-pinene, myrcene, eugenol and terpineol) in deonized water were prepared by ultrasonic and manual mixing in four different concentrations ranging from 0.39 – 5.50 µmol cm^-3. Commercial sera (with normal-N and high-H enzyme activity) were used as a source of α-amylase. α-Amylase activity was determined by standard methods using an automated analyzer.

Results: All the selected terpenes at their maximal concentrations inhibited α-amylase in N-sera in the range 9.68 – 38.70 and 10.71 - 25.00 % for ultrasonic and manual mixing, respectively, while in H-sera, inhibition was in the range 17.10 - 21.05 and 13.58 – 25.92 % for ultrasonic and manual mixing, respectively. Regardless of the concentration of the inhibitor or the method of mixing, citral was the strongest inhibitor of α-amylase.

Conclusion: The selected terpenes, in their appropriate concentrations, influence α-amylase activity to varying degrees. Principal component and agglomerative hierarchical analysis reveal that the most significant factor in α-amylase inhibition is the mode of mixing the samples, rather than their concentrations.

Keywords: ^5;-Amylase, ^6;-Pinene, Citral, Diabetes, Essential oil, Eugenol, Eukalyptol, Myrcene, Terpenes, Terpineol