Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

In vitro comparative assessment of the inhibitory effects of single and combined spices against glucose-synthesizing enzymes

Temitayo Esther Adeyeoluwa, Fatai Oladunni Balogun, Anofi Omotayo Tom Ashafa

Phytomedicine and Phytopharmacology Research Group, Department of Plant Sciences, University of the Free State, QwaQwa Campus, Private Bag x13, Phuthaditjhaba 9866, QwaQwa, Free State, South Africa;

For correspondence:- Anofi Ashafa Email: ashafaaot@ufs.ac.za

Accepted: 23 May 2020 Published: 30 June 2020

Citation: Adeyeoluwa TE, Balogun FO, Ashafa AO. In vitro comparative assessment of the inhibitory effects of single and combined spices against glucose-synthesizing enzymes. Trop J Pharm Res 2020; 19(6):1209-1214 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v19i6.14

© 2020 The authors.
This is an Open Access article that uses a funding model which does not charge readers or their institutions for access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) and the Budapest Open Access Initiative (http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read), which permit unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited..

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the individual and synergistic inhibitory activities of five (5) tropical spices, viz, Zingiber officinale Rosc., Xylopia aethiopica (Dun.) A. Rich, Piper guineense Schum & Thonn, Myristica fragrans Houtt. and Allium sativum L. against glucose hydrolysing enzymes.

Methods: In vitro assessment of the alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activities of cold water, hot water, ethanol and aqueous-ethanol extracts of each of the five spices and their combination was investigated using enzymatic protocols. Acarbose was used as the standard.

Results: Only four extracts showed strong inhibition against alpha-glucosidase and weak inhibition against alpha-amylase. Going by their half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀), the combined spices exhibited the best concurrent inhibitory activity against both hydrolysing enzymes (665.83 ± 27.50 µg/mL for alpha-glucosidase) and (1166.86 ± 14.70 µg/mL for alpha-amylase).

Conclusion: The findings from this study demonstrate the enhanced antihyperglycemic potentials of the combined spices compared to the individual spices for the management of diabetes.

Keywords: Hyperglycemia, Diabetes, Alpha-amylase, Alpha-glucosidase, Zingiber officinale, Xylopia aethiopica, Piper guineense, Myristica fragrans, Allium sativu